The Blessing
by MorbidMandy
Summary: A new addition forces Chloe and Derek closer and, in ways, further apart. How will Derek react when he realizes he isn't as alone as he thought he was? And what will Simon do when he isn't in charge of a relationship? Chlerek and Simon/OC. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1: Hello, Hello

**Authors Note: HIIIIIIIIIII everyone. OK so I know this is short but I'm sorry I just need to know if it's worth it to write more. I also need to give you a little update, but that will come a little later. Sooo, I've been reading a lot of really good fics on here, and I decided to suck it up and just WRITE ONE ALREADY!!! **** So… ok. Just Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee review because otherwise I won't update (as I just won't know if you like it)**

This is what has happened since the end of The Reckoning (which by the way was _awesome_): This is only a few days in the future. The raid on the Edison Group was successful, but they have regrouped. (also imagine they never got Simon and Derek's dad back) and so our "resistance group" is going in to get Simon's dad and also Rae (if they can). Not much has gotten in their way-they took them by surprise and all is going well.

Derek and Chloe raced down the hall of the Edison Group lab hideout.

"We have to get you out of here, Chloe... but we have to find my dad too..." Derek muttered.

"Forget about me, Derek, let's just concentrate on-" Chloe and Derek slid to a stop as they saw a lab door titled HOLDING CELLS.

They raced into the room and found the cell labeled BAE, KIT empty. Just then, their radios crackled and Simon's voice came over the airways.

"Hey, guys-dad is here! He escaped on his own. We gotta get out, they've got backup coming in a few minutes!"

"Let's go, Derek!" Chloe said, and she started running again. But Derek stood still. When she saw him not moving, she skidded to a stop and ran back to him.

"Derek? What is it?" she asked.

He pointed wordlessly to another cell.

When Chloe read the name on it, her breath gasped out.

WEREWOLF SUBJECT HOLDING CELL

Before Chloe could speak a word, Derek had strode to the door and wrenched it open.

They walked in and saw a girls back.

Before either could speak she whipped around.

"What!? Please, I already told you guys everything I know! Please, I can't take anymore, please!" the girl begged. Chloe looked her over. She looked about their age, with dark brown hair and pleading green eyes that were rapidly tearing up.

Derek took another step forward, opening his mouth, when she stiffened up.

"_You._" the word was a growl, and it dissolved any lingering questions about if this girl was a wolf.

"Me?" Derek asked, confused.

"I can _small_ you. So who are you? Damon? Dain? Don?" She asked, trembling slightly.

"D-Derek" he asked, still a little confused (alright more than a little).

Her eyes widened, and she quickly stepped over to him. She sniffed him once, twice.

"I can't believe it! They-they said that you were..." her eyes dulled a little. "It's so good to see you... my... I mean, Derek."

"Hi..." Derek said, obviously still not understanding.

The girl turned to Chloe, stepping up close to her and sniffing.

Derek stiffened and moved to pull the girl away but Chloe held her hand up to let her continue.

When she stepped back she was grinning broadly. _Really _broadly. Like face-hurting broadly.

"Well. I approve. I'm glad that my brother chose himself a good mate." she said.

"Brother?" Derek said, at the same time Chloe said "Mate?

**Ok. That's it for now. PLEASSSSSSE review even if you just say "like it" or "its ok". But constructive criticism is SO appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2: Battlefield

***squeals loudly* OMFG I have to say, when I saw the reviews I got so excited I immediately wrote more. See how this works? I am very easily motivated, people! So anyway… I am very excited and I love writing this! Oh and if I make any mistakes, grammatically or logistically, please tell me. It always annoys me when people spell things wrong or use the wrong form of things. I'm like a grammar nazi or something. Alright because this is long enough, so let's get on with this.**

**DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately I don't own DP. Because I am not awesome enough to think that up. **

"Oh," said the girl, tilting her head slightly to one side.

Chloe and Derek both stared at her, wondering what she was talking about.

"Look, I know you two need answers… we all do. But from what I can hear, this is NOT the time. So… let's go." She said, turning and grabbing something from a tiny crevice in the wall.

For the first time Chloe noticed the room itself. It was gray concrete, with a tiny pad in the corner, some newspapers in the other corner, but in the center of the room, proudly on display, were chains that looked like torture devices. Chloe shuddered as she imagined what had gone on in this room. There were streaks of red on the ground around the chains.

Chloe looked away, shoving the thought of the blood from her mind. She glanced at Derek and sure enough, he was looking at the chains and stiffening.

"Let's go." He said, repeating the girls words from earlier. Yes, Chloe thought. They should _definitely_ get out of this… place.

The three of them ran down the hallway, and then another, and then another.

"What exactly _are _you doing here?" wondered the girl.

"We're breaking some people out" Chloe said.

"Oh… well… um, I just want you guys to know…I'm not going to be any help." Mumbled the girl as they came to a locked girl.

"Why?" asked Derek, pausing for a second.

The girl rolled her eyes and threw herself against the door. Chloe expected the door to snap (after all, the girl _was _ a werewolf!), but instead it just… well, nothing happened.

"Aren't you a werewolf?" demanded Derek.

"Yes but… well, they really messed me up. I was part of the Inuba **(A/N: totally made that word up. Just so you know)** Experiment. Well, more like I _was _the experiment. Every day they injected me and then… they… they injected me with something and so I'm not strong. All the werewolf I have in me is that I am terribly territorial." Said the girl.

Derek nodded slightly, and Chloe knew he wanted to ask more, but now _wasn't _the time. So he quickly broke down the door and they ran through more hallways.

As they ran Chloe wondered what the girl had grabbed in her room, but her attention was soon diverted by a scream.

They skidded around a corner and faced a room filled with fighting.

Tori was fighting what seemed to be two (two!? Chloe thought anxiously) sorcerers, but she was barely defending herself.

Simon was also fighting two people, a witch and someone (a half-demon, Chloe assumed) who was shooting fire at him.

The others they had brought-numerous people whose names Chloe could not remember, were all fighting as well.

The room was being invaded by people constantly. Chloe vaguely acknowledged a man who looked a _lot _like Simon trying to stop the people from entering.

Derek went right off, running up to who she assumed was his father (Kit), and started helping staunch the flow of people.

Chloe tried her best to help too, she located a few dead people and was raising them, when she felt someone-or _something_-pin her against the wall. She screamed when she saw what it was---

A werewolf. But he only seemed to be in half-form.

"So… so pretty!" he panted, his eyes bright and burning. Chloe faintly remembered something about how werewolves could turn insane, if they let go of the human part of them entirely. If they were… _maneaters_.

"Yes, so pretty… you're gonna taste _so _good!" he cried out lifting his hand and pulling it down towards her.

Chloe's eyes squeezed shut and she tried not to scream. Suddenly she felt a slam beside her. She opened up her eyes, expecting Derek, but she was shocked to see it was the girl.

"You. Do. Not. Threaten. My. PACK!" the girl growled, and then she threw him. He hit the other wall so hard that a few pieces of plaster fell.

Chloe looked at the girl and gasped, seeing her for the first time.

Standing there, chest heaving, Chloe could easily see her as a heroine in a movie. If she were directing, she'd cast her as Superwoman. Because she was.

The girl looked like Derek, but… not like him too. Her face was gaunt, but strong. Her jaw was strong like Derek's, and her cheekbones were like knives (so sharp!). Her eyes were blazing a fierce emerald color, and her dark hair was plastered to her head with sweat. But as interesting as It was to look at her face… her body was the most interesting… especially in _this _light.

The girl was only wearing a thin white tank-top that showed off her stomach, and sweatpants. But Chloe could see hundreds-_thousands?_- of scars on her. Marks from whips, knives, marks from pain and from horror. All over her body. And with startling clarity Chloe realized what the experiment was. They wanted to see a werewolf go insane. So they'd tortured her. They'd beaten her. They'd injected her with something so she wouldn't be strong. They-they-

The still-nameless girl turned to look at her. Her eyes were fierce, but Chloe couldn't be afraid. This girl had saved her For some unknown reason, she'd protected her.

**Review please! Knowing me I'm going to be so excited I don't get and homework done until I write more, so… yeah. Tell me what you think. Tell me your predictions. Because, seriously, people? I've only planned so much of this. And I love hearing predictions!!! :D yayyyy. Ok. So R&R please. :D thank you (I'm still on a review-high!!!)**


	3. Chapter 3: Who, What, Where Why?

**Hiiiii. So I decided to put this up because I'm **_**that**_** nice & also because I really want to know what people think. So this is chapter 3 and I'm currently writing chapter 4. Ummmm so seriously, what do you think of my new character? **_**I **_**like her a lot, but that's probably because I created her!**

**AND OMG I SAW THAT PEOPLE READ MY STORY FROM CANADA!!! CANADA!!! I **_**love**_** Canada! I mean, Canada has MOUNTIES!!! I mean, I know they have other stuff, but MOUNTIES. 3 plus I've never been out of the continental US. Or out of my homestate more than 3 times. So Canada = awesomeness (at least to me)**

**So anyway… I know that right now this story isn't really focusing much on Chloe or Derek, but it will. I just need to establish the story first. I'm trying to establish a base and then I have a lot of awesome scenes to write. And also some lines that are tumbling around in my head. Iok ok, long enough note, I know. Oh but I'm switching to doing Chloe's POV because it's just easier that way.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own DP because if I did it wouldn't be as awesome but it would have a lot more Chlerek. **

CPOV:

The girl moved quickly, pushing me aside as a spell hit close to my head.

"We've got to get out of here! There's too many to fight!" Kit yelled,

In perfect synchronization the girl and Derek turned their heads and growled low in their chest, as if saying 'There's _never_ too many to fight!' They each seemed surprised by the other, but before I could notice anything more, we were running.

Most of the trip was a blur, I wish I could remember all the details, but all I could remember was Derek staring. At me. At the girl. I really wish I knew her name.

"W-w-why did you save me?" I asked the girl, inwardly cursing my stutter.

She looked at me oddly.

"You are my brothers mate." She said, as if this answered the question at _all_.

She noticed my expression and started again, "Derek's my brother. We're… bonded, in a way. He is in my pack-it's natural. You're his mate-and _please_ don't ask me what I'm talking about-and so… alright. He's the alpha of the pack. Since you're his mate, you're the alpha female. And I know I'm not _officially_ the beta or anything… but seeing as how there are no other actual _wolves_ in his pack, I kind of just assumed the position. I had to protect you."

"W-Well… you don't have to if you don't w-want to." I said shyly.

"It's not just that… I looked into his eyes, Chloe. I _saw _him. I saw you in there. I saw how much he… I know. I know that you're worth saving, because if he thinks you're worth it, then I do too." The girl blushed then, as did I. At least I wasn't the only one who was blushing now.

At this moment I was _so _glad Derek was in the other car. Even though I missed him… I was glad he didn't know what she'd said. Because it would make him uncomfortable…

We arrived at the new safe house. It was an average-sized Tudor house with a forest surrounding it on three sides.

I stepped carefully out of the car, and the girl followed. Quickly, before I forgot or got distracted or Derek came, I turned to the girl.

"What's your name?" I asked her. But her brow just furrowed and she looked like Derek did when I said something he didn't understand.

Before I could ask more, Derek and Kit were upon us, ushering us inside. We all followed Kit and sat around a round dining table.

"So... Derek filled me in on most of the details on the ride over, but I'd like to hear it from you… um…" Kit kind of drifted off at the end, obviously confused over her still-nameless state.

"What do you want to know?" the girl asked.

Before anyone could say anything, Tori spoke.

"What are those scars from?" she asked.

"From… from the experiment." The girl said.

"You don't have to tell us about it if you don't want to, um…"Kit once again drifted off due to her namelessness.

"I don't mind. I've never lived anywhere but the hospital. For the first… four or so years of my life, I lived with other werewolves. Then I was put into various rooms… and when I was about twelve they put me in my permanent cell. First it was the injections. Before I'd been able to break things really easily. I was _so_ strong. But now I barely had any energy. Then they started the beatings. At first it was just with whips. Back then I thought anything would be better. But then they started with the knives. Then came the guns. And worse. I think they wanted me to go insane-to see if I would lose my humanity. But I didn't, because, unknown to them, I had a friend. Or at least a voice. She said she was a soul-bound demi-demon. I don't know what that is but she tried to help me. She'd tell me when they were coming so I'd know when to hide my stuff. But I was. Losing it, I mean. I just… I just wanted to stop the pain. So I told them I heard a voice. They seemed so excited about it. They let me go for nearly a week. I got stronger. I wouldn't tell them anything again. But they kept on hitting me. So I told them more. I… I disgusted myself. I still do. But you guys came and… now I'm free." She managed a small smile at the end of that, but I don't know how she did.

I felt Derek shaking and I looked over at him. The look in his eyes was murderous… why?

That's when it dawned on me. Derek recognized her as his sister… and hearing what had happened to her…

Derek stood quickly and began pacing-no doubt to relieve the excess anger. After a few minutes of this Kit cleared his throat.

"Um… well, um… um… what's your name?" he asked, obviously feeling awkward.

"Well… I can remember being called D. And once they called me Izzy." She said.

Derek stopped and looked at her curiously.

"Well, yeah, but what's your name?" asked Tori.

"I don't have one. They said they didn't give names to pets."

**I know it's short but it's 11:34 PM and this is the third-no fourth night in a row I've stayed up due to DP. First because of The Reckoning. Then because I love the stories on here-and I love the authors-and now because I've finally become productive. So. Review please. They are my bread and butter. And chicken because chicken=yummmm.**

**((I wrote the previous authors note when I first finished this)) I know this is short but I have a LOT of homework. OK not really but my day is like 40% homework 40% reading 10% writing and the rest other stuff. :D Reviewwwwwww.**


	4. Chapter 4: Who I am, What I do

**Yayyy updates!!! I decided to update now because I got some reviews and they sparked me into action. 3. **

**And also I won't be updating for a couple of days ****. Unlike most people, weekends don't make me more productive. ESPECIALLY not this one. Tomorrow (Saturday) my mom wants me to clean (a lot) and then we're going shopping. :P unfortunately not book shopping, its clothes shopping. Then on Sunday I'm going out to dinner with my step-mom and sister. Then I have Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and Thursday is my birthday (YAYYYY 1 6!!!), and Friday I am going to my other sisters to decorate for my Saturday-Sunday sleepover. **

**So yeah. **** not a lot of writing time.**

**Some shoutouts:**

**Bodyandsoul-WHAT NO MOUNTIES!?!? Awww man. I *love* the ideas of Mounties. So cool.**

**Katnj- Don't worry. I have so many ideas for this story, so many lines… I don't think I'm ever going to stop this story!!! :D **

**And to all of my other totally awesome reviewers, thank you. I would mention you all by name but that would get long!**

**Oh and would anyone be interested in seeing what the girl (named in this chapter) looks like? Because I obsessively draw everyone and I could *very* easily (I think) put my idea of her as my profile picture. Which would require you looking at it, but… :)**

**Alright, to the story!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Darkest Powers I wouldn't be writing this. I would be writing a fourth book that was fluffy and Chlerek-y. Also there would be no books because I am just not that awesome. **

"Pets?" asked Derek, his voice low in his chest.

"yes." Answered the girl unashamedly. There was something _so _Derek-like about her.

Everyone was silent for a few moments,

"But I do have an idea…" said the girl, looking a little timid.

"How?" asked Kit.

"S-something they used on me when I was younger. I can't read what it says. I mean, I CAN read, but not words that I've never seen before.

She placed on the table the folded piece of cloth I'd seen her grab from her cell. She reached into it and pulled out what seemed to be a metal choker.

But after a few long moments I realized it was a collar.

Derek growled, the sound making everyone jump. Everyone but the girl. She seemed oddly… unaffected by it. She held it up to him and he stalked over to her, taking it from her.

"It says… _Isadora_." He said.

"That makes sense. Izzie. And D-for Dora." Said Tori.

"So my name is Isadora? It's pretty." The girl-Isadora-said.

"It is." I said, trying to hold in tears. The look on her face was so open, so… trusting. She trusted us because she trusted Derek-her brother. Her alpha. The thought still was new to me. Derek as the leader of a pack. An Alpha. And me as his… I blushed as I thought of the word _mate._

"So… Isadora…" Kit began, obviously at a loss for words.

"Dora, please. It's less to say. And Derek? I want to give something to you." She said softly.

Derek looked up and grunted, his mask was back on. But somehow, I could tell. He was worried about the gi-Dora. He was worried about his sister.

Dora reached once again into the folded cloth, this time pulling out a delicate chain.

"What's that?" asked Tori, leaning forward to squint at it.

Dora handed it to Derek carefully, and then spoke. "It was my-our-mothers. You-you should have it."

Derek examined it, the tiny necklace seeming even more miniscule in his large hand.

"I can't take this from you." He said in an even voice. At least, it seemed like an even voice. But if I tried even a little bit to listen hard, I could hear the melancholy chord in his voice.

"It's ok. I have this." Dora said, holding up a ring with a green stone in it. "It was hers too."

Derek looked back down at the necklace and up at Dora. And down. And up. And down. And up again.

"We need to talk about this. Um, Dora… could you please go upstairs with Chloe." Derek said.

"I want to stay!" Dora said, and a fraction of a second later I backed her up.

"I'm staying."

Derek sighed, and rubbed his head with his hand.

"Dora, take Chloe upstairs. Please." He said.

At once, like she was an exceptionally intuitive robot, she turned and frowned at me.

"Let's go Chloe."

"I-I want to stay." I said, my voice wavering slightly. What were they talking about that they didn't want me to hear?

Dora stood and took a quick few steps over to me.

"We have to go upstairs. Please, Chloe." She said, her voice conflicted.

"No, I'm going to stay."

Derek sighed and began to speak, but Dora very carefully-and lightly tried to lift me up.

"Wh-what are you doing?" I asked, more amused then afraid… but still afraid.

"Dora-what are you doing!?" asked Derek angrily.

She turned, her eyebrows knit in confusion.

"You ordered me to take her upstairs. I have to follow the orders of my alpha. Unfortunately." She sighed.

I blinked once. Twice. Orders from her alpha?

"Derek's your _ALPHA!_" laughed Tori. Simon even cracked a small smile. Only Kit's face remained unchanged.

"I-I didn't mean to order you…" sighed Derek.

"Well you did." Said Dora, obviously upset.

"well… I order you to not follow my orders unless I say I order you." Derek said, his eyebrows doing the same knitting thing as hers had.

Dora began to laugh, "That is the most incredibly complicated order I've ever had. Which isn't saying much, considering I've only had three."

"Three?" I asked, causing both Dora and Derek's heads to snap over to mine, "I-I just mean… the first was to take me upstairs. The second was to… the last one. What was the third one?"

"The last one was the third. The first was… a long time ago. I think I was three. I was with Derek and… the others. It was right before they told me Derek… anyway, he ordered me to stay away from the others. It was his first ever alpha-order." Dora looked over at Derek, smiling vaguely.

Derek smiled slowly, cautiously, as if he was afraid to smile too quickly.

"I think that we should all take a break. Chloe and Tori can show Dora to her room, and then we can… relax a little bit before we talk. I think we're all a little on edge." Said Kit.

Derek nodded slowly, and spoke slowly, "Alright. Dad's right. I'm going to… I'm going to go sit down."

I bit my lip. I knew that Derek couldn't be taking this well. He'd just found out that he had a sister. And that his sister had been tortured. And that this sister was completely devoted to him, because he was her alpha.

I gestured to Tori, and we started to walk up the staircase. But Simon blocked Dora's way, smiling brightly.

Dora considered him for a moment, tilting her head to the side, before she spoke.

"Move, please… boy."

"I'm Simon." Simon said cheerfully. Oh god, I thought. Was he really going to be this… _perky_?

"Oh. Hello Simon. Move, please, Simon."

Even Derek was choking back laughter as Simon stepped aside and Dora walked away without a backwards glance. Simon was striking out before he'd even tried.

**So what did you think? I wanted to make everyone in character, because well… for obvious reasons. **

**How was Simon? Just so you know, he wasn't really hitting on Dora, he was just being friendly. Overly friendly because he thought that Derek was being overly somber. **

**And I have a few more things under my sleeve.**


	5. Chapter 5: Tiny Girl, Wide Eyes

**Yayyy reviews! I'm a little disappointed because I wanted to make this a super-long chapter so I could fit in more Chlerek moments, but that really isn't going to happen, because I am really busy. But next chapter I have some awesome things planned. And look-CHAPTER FIVE!!! I never ever thought I'd make it this far-this is like the longest thing I've ever stuck with.**

**Alright so here's some shoutouts/things I wanted to say to people :D:**

**kenhat: hmm well one of your questions is answered in this chapter. And thank you because I actually hadn't thought about either of those things until you mentioned them.**

**Vamplover1996: yes, I think Simon needs to take a grumpy-pill or something XD**

**gottabeekaydee: Don't worry, I take orders even from non-alphas.**

**xXGh0stXx: yes it was sad :( but it gets better for her. **

**Alright. The only other thing I have to say is this: I borrowed two lines from the book Beauty by Robin McKinley. They are the lines Dora says while looking at the portrait. They are similar to what I'd thought she would say, but these lines flow ****so ****much better. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own DP. If I did, you would have to wait like 2 years for the books, but they would have a lot more Chlerek, so… :D**

Dora was unimpressed by the prospect of her own room-which I figured stemmed from the fact that she'd lived in her own cell for most of her life. However, when shown her own bed, she let out a joyous sigh and sat on it happily.

"It's so… thick!" she giggled, bouncing slightly. I smiled too-it was impossible not to be taken in by Dora's cheerfulness. Even Tori cracked a small smile. Remembering her cell, I winced, thinking of the thin pad in the corner which no doubt served as a bed.

"So…" began Dora, her green eyes sparkling, "Can you show me the rest of the house?"

"Well… we actually haven't gotten much of a chance to explore ourselves. I can show you where everyone's rooms are, and where the bathroom and kitchen is…" I said.

"Then we'll go exploring together!" Dora said happily. Her demeanor surprised me. I knew that it was silly, but I'd almost expected her to be angry and sad. But she seemed to be… I don't know. She didn't seem in denial. It was like she'd moved past… her past. Or at least she could put it behind her.

I showed Dora the bathrooms, the other bedrooms, and the kitchen. Derek overheard (stupid werewolf senses) that we were going to look around, and he insisted on coming along. That spurred Simon into coming too, and finally Tori decided to come along. She angrily said something about not being left behind, but I saw the smile she directed at Dora. I felt a small surge of pride at this-Tori had a _friend_!

We clamored up the stairs, yelling to Kit that we were going exploring. Dora stuck close to me and Derek, but she talked to Tori happily. Simon approached her-all I could do was roll my eyes at the unbelievably cheery smile on his face. As he got to her, she turned and, confused, sniffed Simon. Then she sniffed Tori. Then Simon. Then Tori. Her head whipped back and forth-I was surprised she didn't get whiplash.

"Are you OK, Dora?" asked Simon.

"Yes it's just… you smell alike." Dora said, confused. Remembering what Gwen, and the demi-demon had said… maybe-? But no, Derek would have smelled any similarities… right?

We moved on, starting with what I had assumed was another bedroom, but seemed to be storage. There was an old dining table and chairs, and two trunks full of gorgeous, old fashioned clothes. Tori had found a drop-dead-gorgeous old green ball gown. All I'd found were gloves. Mismatched, old, smelling-like-cigarettes, gloves.

Simon tugged away a sheet covering a painting. When it fell our eyes were riveted. The man-who looked no more than seventeen-was handsome. His hair was blond, and his eyes were bright blue. He looked like a painting of a Greek god. But there was something off about him. You could see the arrogance in his smirk, the pride in his eyes. I doubted he would have been a nice person to be around.

"He was hot. But there's something off about him." Tori said, letting the ball gown's slippery, filmy fabric slip from her fingers and into the trunk again.

We all moved to stand around the portrait. The man was standing, holding a rifle slung over one shoulder. The clothes he was wearing were old, like 1800's old. Or maybe 1930's. But they were old.

"His eyes are so bright… like his soul is burning from the inside out." Dora murmured, studying the portrait. Derek hesitantly put his hand on her shoulder. A comforting gesture, one that would normally be considered commonplace… but the look in Dora's eyes as she turned to him…

It was heartbreaking. Her eyes said that this was like a bear hug, like saving her from a painful death. He was accepting her (however hard I knew it was) as his sister.

"What do you think happened to him?" asked Simon. We all considered the painting for a moment, as if the answer would suddenly pop out at us.

"I think he died young." Dora said, her voice hushed, gentle. As though the man was standing here beside us, listening in. On second thought… I turned and made sure that I didn't see any ghosts lurking around.

"Maybe we should go back downstairs." Said Tori. I turned to look at her and, sure enough, even Queen Tori looked uncomfortable in this room.

**(A/N: OK, I'm trying something new here. This is in Derek's POV, so… let's hope it isn't crap!)**

**DPOV**

We went down to the living room, where dad sat reading a book.

"How was exploring?" asked dad, noting the somber expressions on our faces. I wasn't sure _why,_ but that room was depressing, Or at least the portrait was.

"I-It was fun." Said Chloe shakily, sitting down heavily in the love seat. I sat beside her. I vaguely noted Tori claiming the only other available armchair, forcing Simon and Dora to sit together. A low chuckle escaped me as I saw the look of pure… panic on Dora's face as Simon gave her a friendly half-hug.

She was my sister. I could feel it, I could… smell it. She looked like me and the fact that she'd remembered the other boys and…

I remembered her. Kind of. It was like a memory of a dream. I remembered the other boys, territorial and mean. And I remembered a small girl, shoved into the room with us. I remember her eyes, big and terrified. I remember how she screamed for her mom.

I remember when the nurse told us we were related. I remember shoving the other boys aside. I had to protect her. Even now, the feeling ran deep through me.

I had to protect my sister.

I remembered telling her to stay _away_. I remembered the look in her eyes. That small girl with too-big eyes and too-small hands. She couldn't protect herself. I had to. Back then she'd clung to me. I didn't know her name-I barely knew mine.

And that day when they took the other boys away… I remember them taking her. It flew back to me in a fury, like I was watching it happen.

_They picked her up like she weighed nothing. But she screamed for me so loud-_

"_DEREK!" she screeched, twisting in the nurse's arms._

"_Let her go!" I yelled, racing forward. Not even caring about the hands that reached out to me, closing around my ankles, yanking me backward. There was one prick of pain, a last scream from her, and then blissful darkness._

I didn't remember her then. But now I knew I'd never forget. I would die for my sister. Even if I barely knew her. Thinking of what she'd been put through… the nausea rose up in me, threatening to send me running to the bathroom. I owed her so much… the guilt would live in me for the rest of my life.

I'd abandoned her, and that's all I could think of.

**Short, I know. I'm going to try my VERY BEST to update tomorrow, because as you may remember in my last note, things are going to be VERY HECTIC for me starting Thursday (!!!). Especially because my sister just told me that she's having a Mary Kay party at 3 on Sunday which I was like WHATTTT you know I'm having friends sleep over Saturday night!!! :X grrr. But oh well, maybe I'll have time to write more. **** Review PLEASSSSE!!!! :D thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6: Unexpected Changes

**Yippee updates!!! OK, so I wrote this in pieces, because I'm not used to writing fluffy scenes, I'm more of a death and destruction writer. But I like this chapter. It does a lot for character development, and it gives a little foreshadowing. Oh and OMG I know how this is going to end!!! I figured it out at about 11:30 last night. I was like THIS IS IT!!!**

**Part of this is in Simon's POV, which was totally strange to write but really necessary, because he's a big part of the story, and you get to see WHY he is so annoying.**

**One thing before the shoutouts: this is how dedicated I am to this. As an early birthday present, my grandparents sent me a $100 check. Normally I would already have twenty books coming in the mail but I'm not because I know it'll be too much of a DISTRACTION. So yeah. **

**Shoutouts:**

**BMX2: um. Yeah. Ok. Never thought of that. But now it's part of a future chapter so I can't tell you :D**

**Vamplover1996: Hahahah. Read on.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. If I did it wouldn't get done quickly at all. I am MUCH too easily distracted, especially-OOH GLITTER!!!!!!!!**

That night we ate in near-silence. Only Kit and Simon chattered on, talking about plans for tomorrow and such. I really wasn't sure _how_ either of them could be so cheery. Tori had always called me annoyingly cheerful… but now I could barely manage a nod every so often.

As soon as we finished eating, we ran up the steps to our respective rooms. Only Simon stayed to do the dishes. Some small part of my brain reminded me to be polite, but the toll of today was wearing on me. I'd been through a lot-we _all_ had.

I climbed up the steps to my bedroom, and I went through the motions of nighttime mechanically. I'd just laid down in my _new _bed, when a knock on the door nearly made me jump out of bed.

"W-who is it?" I called.

"Me." Derek replied, and a small jolt of happiness passed through me.

"Come in!" I called, more enthusiastically then I'd said I'd said anything in hours.

He entered and was at my bed before I even saw him. I really wish I had his awesome werewolf night senses.

He laid beside me, and I put my head on his arm.

"This is weird." I said, my voice seeming much too loud in the room.

"Yes, it is" Derek said with a small chuckle.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked.

"Anything." He said, his voice low and husky. I wanted to just kiss him then, but NO, I had to ask this ONE question, and then I'd let myself get lost in his voice.

"If they were injected Dora with stuff to make her weak, how could she throw that werewolf off of me?"

"I was thinking about it. I think it was the adrenaline. She'd recognized you as one of her pack-mates, and she was going to protect you no matter what. The adrenaline ripped through whatever they had her on. I'm worried, though. We have no idea what they did to her. I'm thinking, though, that she might start Changing soon." He said.

We sat in contemplative silence for a few minutes, before I turned and slowly reached up to touch his cheek. The look in his eyes was happiness as he reached down and captured my mouth with his.

We kissed like this for what seemed like hours, before he pulled back and tilted his head to one side. He started to sit up, but I reached up and tugged on his shirt.

The smile he gave me was deliciously wonderful, and we fell together yet again. Somehow in the movement of things, he lost his shirt.

"_Mine_." He growled into my neck as he kissed his way across my collarbone.

I shivered from the feeling, while my mind whirled with words. Mine. Mate. Mine. His. Kiss. Touch. Love. Oh-

"Derek-" I moaned into his hair as he kissed my neck.

He moved back up to my mouth as his fingers brushed my stomach where my shirt had ridden up. The feeling of his rough fingers on my skin was too much and I started to grab more desperately at him and-

A scream ripped through the air-and it wasn't a scream of fright, or one of pain. It was one of terror and gut-wrenching horror. Derek was in the air before I'd even processed the sound.

"_Dora._" The word was breathed rather then spoken, and even in the dim light I could see that his eyes were wide in terror.

Without a word we were running down the steps, and out the door. It took me a moment to realize that he was speaking, but I soon could tell what he was saying.

"I heard-_smelled_-her leaving-but I didn't think anything of it. Simon's with her." He panted, speeding up.

"_Simon_?" I wondered aloud. Why would Simon follow her? And why wouldn't Derek do anything if he smelled or heard her leaving…? 'Oh' I thought, my cheeks burning as I recalled his brief distraction in the bedroom.

We reached a small clearing, but Derek sped to a stop, and just stared in. As I reached him and peered in through the trees, I felt my throat dry at the sight in front of me.

**Simon's POV**

Dinner that night was depressing. Seriously. Dad and I talked pretty much nonstop, and even Chloe, who's usually pretty cheery, was silent. I didn't know what we were talking about, which made it pretty hard to make others pay attention. Tori ran for her room as soon as she finished eating, and everyone else followed quickly.

I washed the dishes and then headed up to my room. I entered the room Derek & I shared and was dismayed-although not surprised-to see it was empty. He was with Chloe. Oh well. I'd hoped for a little company, but I could deal.

I knew that I was probably making a fool of myself, seemingly throwing myself at Dora. But I just… I didn't know what to do! She was like a broken doll… and I really wanted to fix her. She didn't deserve what had happened to her. And I knew that since she was Derek's sister, maybe I should let him comfort him, but…

No one knew how hard it was being the sideline-guy. The guy who gallantly steps aside to let his brother have the girl, the guy who has almost no powers when everyone else has tons and tons. It was depressing as _hell_. So I overcompensated by being cheery.

Because otherwise, I'd just sit in my own head and wither up into a husk of a man. My life (what little life I'd had) was over. I was going to be on the run for probably the rest of my life.

I was never going to be normal. I'd _always _been pretty normal. Sure, OK, I'd been the new blond Asian guy. But I'd still been basically normal. Never again. I didn't know if I was _going _to be powerful, if I'd suddenly erupt in power and kill myself. No one knew. Not even dad.

And the _worst _part of it all was that I felt desperately guilty by what I felt.

I had dad.

I had Derek.

I had people who cared about me.

Dora had _no one._ Well, she had Derek. But he wasn't going to be able to step into the big-brother role without some bumps. So I'd be the vaguely-annoying guy who smoothed out the bumps. Because, if you thought about it, she was almost like my sister too.

I was pondering what an odd family we made, when the door creaked open. A smile danced over my mouth (ok, let's pretend I didn't say that-let's say that I started to smile a REALLY MANLY smile REALLY MANLY-LY…) as I prepared to joke with Derek about him & Chloe.

"…Derek?" came a labored whisper. I was at the door in a second, pulling it open to reveal Dora.

She looked like crap.

Her hair was plastered to her forehead, and she was pale. She also was trembling, and it took her a few seconds to look up at me.

"W-where's Derek…?" she asked in yet another labored whisper.

"With Chloe. What's wrong?" I asked, reaching out to feel her forehead. She was so hot it hurt my hand.

"N-Nothing. I shouldn't bother him… I just-" she shook again, and turned and ran (silently) down the hall and the stairs.

Without thinking I ran after her. I paused at Chloe's door for a nano-second, but I kept going. Derek would hear us, and he would come after us.

I jetted out the door after Dora, and I watched as she stumbled/ran into the forest. I kept close at her heels, following her until we got to a small clearing. To my intense horror, she immediately collapsed on the forest floor.

She convulsed for a moment, before crawling over and throwing up into a bush. I ran to her, pushing her hair out of her frightened, glowing green eyes.

"Dora! What's going on!?!" I yelled, and she winced slightly.

"I-I think I'm… changing… Simon!" she screeched, ripping herself from my grip as her back jack-knifed, and her bones made sickening pops.

Even in the thin t-shirt of Chloe's that she'd borrowed, and Tori's sweatpants, she was sweating like she was in the middle of the Sahara.

She let out a blood-curdling scream of terror as she shook yet again.

Every thought was pushed out of my mind as I reached for her. I rubbed her back, spoke soothingly to her, and tried to comfort her as she shook even harder.

She began to whimper something, and I unconsciously shifted so that I could hear her better.

"Simon… don't leave… Simon!" she wailed, clinging to me as her body stretched and popped even more.

I felt something thick start to sprout from her skin. _Fur._ I thought dimly, but before I could process that, she was clawing the ground furiously, pulling herself out of my grasp, and writhing in pain on the ground.

The sounds coming from her weren't words, they were bone-chilling moans and shrieks. Her body was going through this much too quickly-I mean, I assumed.

Suddenly, her head popped up and she stared wide-eyed at the trees.

"DEREK!" she shrieked, and sure enough, he came charging out of the trees, Chloe close behind him.

She screamed again as she twisted, and this time, thanks to the wonders of a full moon, I could watch as her body tried to turn her into a wolf.

Then, just as quickly as it started, it ended. Her arms and legs shot out, away from her, and she seemed back to normal.

For a moment no one moved, we just stood around her in a half-circle. Then she lifted her head, looking out at us with half-open eyes.

"Chloe? When did you get here? Hello Derek. Simon… can you help me up?" she said, sounding dazed.

I quickly helped her up, and she leaned heavily on me.

"Dora, you should have gotten me!" Derek said, trying to keep his anger in check.

"I did. You weren't in your room. I didn't want to bother you. Simon was great." She said, still dazed. I looked at her, and the look she gave me back was… wonder. In those eyes, it was like I could see who I was to her. I wasn't Simon, boy who felt bad for himself and tried to make up for it by annoying the heck out of everybody. I saw Simon, boy-no, man-who raced outside after a werewolf girl he'd known for less than 12 hours, and stayed with her as she went through unbelievable pain.

She looked at me like I was a hero.

_Her _hero.

**YAY LONGEST CHAPTER EVER!!! The only downside is I got like no homework done. OHWELL! :D**

**((this is something new))Stuff I listened to while writing:**

**Who Knew-P!NK**

**Second Chance-Shinedown**

**Time After Time-Cyndi Lauper**

**St. Elmos Fire (Man In Motion)- John Parr**

**Don't You Forget About Me-Simple Minds**

**Review pleaseeeeee!!! Remember, no updates starting Friday till Tuesday. D: I know, horrible, but if I get a good amount of reviews, I'll update tomorrow and Thursday!**


	7. Chapter 7: Clash of the Brothers

**Sooo I wasn't planning on posting another chapter until I got like seven reviews (random number), but today is my birthday so this is the very first chapter you're getting from a sixteen-year-old!!! YAYYY!!! :D**

**Um. So, I hope you like this chapter. I wrote it during Spanish class, so I blame you if I get a bad grade ;) JUST kidding.**

**Shoutouts:**

**kenhat: well, let me just say of Dora/Simon, nothing is easy. And no matter what happens it's going to take a while. And wow, it's really hard to answer questions without giving anything away.**

**Vamplover1996: are you psychic??? I mean, maybe they are, maybe they aren't. :D I'm totally not giving anything away :D**

**And also thanks to: xXGh0stxX and QueenOfWeird1995 for reviewing. I loooove reviews **

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned DP I would be somewhere in England, eating some sort of English food and celebrating. NOT in school eating lasagna and watching The Young & The Restless. Actually the lasagna and Y&R actually would probably still be happening. But basically, I don't own it. :P**

**CPOV**

Dora went into the house with Simon, and then Simon came back out. We stood in a little circle in the middle of the yard.

"Why didn't you come and wake me up?" demanded Derek angrily.

"I didn't know where you were." Said Simon. He didn't mean it the way it came out-accusatory and angry.

On second thought, seeing his scowl, maybe he made it exactly that way. I wasn't sure _why_ Simon was acting this way, but I figured it probably had something to do with the way that Dora looked at him in the forest.

"Yes you did! Or at least you could have guessed!" Derek growled, but for once, Simon wasn't backing down.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry I thought it was better to make sure she stayed alive then to SEARCH THE HOUSE FOR MY BROTHER!" Simon yelled, waving his arms in the air. It sounds funny on paper, but keep in mind that he was an angry sorcerer, and that his hands were currently sending off blue sparks that he didn't even seem to be aware of.

"You don't know what a change is like! What were you going to do?!" Derek yelled back, seemingly growing taller.

"WELL I KNOW NOW!!!" yelled Simon.

Derek's mouth was open, and he looked beyond angry, but the backdoor burst open and Kit ran out, wielding what looked like a bright green plastic sword.

"WHAT'S GOING ON!?!?" he yelled, brandishing what I now realized what a _magicked_ up sword. It still looked ridiculous.

"W-well, Dora started to c-change and she went looking for Derek but he wasn't in his room, he was in mine. But Simon was there and h-he followed her and then she started Changing and she yelled so we ran out h-here and then she f-f-f-finished and then Simon and Derek started yelling at each other." I said. I tried to get it out all at once, with minimal stuttering.

"Oh." Kit said, once again at a loss for words. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He'd left behind two sons-a popular sorcerer and a moody but protective werewolf. He came back to a sorcerer son with inadequacy issues (I don't care _what_ he says, I know that being so… average, while the rest of us are bursting with power CAN'T feel good), a werewolf son who's antisocial, overprotective, and a little paranoid, a necromancer who raises everything within 100 feet, a witch who blows things up, and a werewolf step-daughter (ish) who has a past more scarred then... well, more scarred then anything.

"…Chloe?" Kit said.

"W-what?" I asked. Apparently I'd tuned him out.

"Will you go and make sure Dora is OK?" he asked.

I nodded, feeling guilty that she'd temporarily slipped my mind. I went in the door, and was about to look for her in her bedroom when I caught Tori coming down.

"What the _hell_? What is all that yelling? And did you hear a scream?" Tori said, yawning-but still angry.

"Dora started to Change. Is she up there?"

"Change!? Into what-oh, nevermind. No she's not up there. I've been at the top of the stairs since the scream."

"Oh… were you _scared_, Tori?" I asked, amazed.

She blushed, "A little. Can you blame me? After all we've gone through, of _course_ I was scared."

I was amazed at Tori's candor, but before I could say anything she'd turned and raced up the stairs.

I went into the kitchen, guessing that a teenage werewolf would most likely be hungry. Sure enough I found Dora glaring at the microwave.

"Hey… what are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm hungry… but I don't know how to use anything. There's usually a tray shoved through the door. I've never actually been in a real kitchen." Dora said, smiling at me before resuming her glaring at the microwave.

"So… you're trying to glare it into cooking?" I asked, trying to not laugh as I located the food.

"Well, I figured it couldn't hurt!" she said.

I popped a bagel into the toaster and put some frozen sausages into the microwave. Sure enough, she watched every move I made with the same amount of interest as if I were performing neurosurgery.

"Wow Chloe. You're _really_ good at this!" She said enthusiastically, looking at me enviously.

I laughed out loud, nearly rolling on the ground at the idea that _I _was good at anything kitchen-related.

"Trust me, Dora, I'm not nearly as good as you think,"

Dora smiled slightly at me, like she was still questioning my sanity.

I went and sat on the other side of the kitchen island, while Dora continued _still_ to glare at the microwave.

"The boys are really loud. I wish I hadn't woken Simon up. I wish they didn't fight" said Dora, her normally cheerful (or at least normally happy) voice sad.

"Dora… they would've found something to fight about anyway. You did what you had to. Don't blame yourself. Blame them and their overactive teenage hormones." I said, not being _entirely_ truthful. I was NOT going to tell her that they never fought-not that I saw.

Just then Derek, Kit and Simon stalked in. The two boys were separate _quite_ noticeably by their father.

Derek came to stand by me, pressing a kiss lightly into my hair.

Simon went over and stood near Dora. By near I mean over six feet away. They just stood there, staring at each other, like they weren't quite sure what to do about the other.

Kit, meanwhile, seemed to be oblivious to all of this, humming happily as he got out orange juice and milk. But the look he shot Simon clued me in that he wasn't quite as oblivious as he seemed.

When the bagel popped, Dora shot about a foot into the air. Derek reached across the kitchen island to steady her at the same time Simon did. Their hands ended up hovering about six inches away from her, glaring at each other.

Uh-oh. It seemed like everyone was getting territorial.

**DPOV**

Chloe turned inside, and I went back to glaring at Simon.

"OK, now boys… Why are you yelling at each other?" dad asked.

"Because Simon was irresponsible and took Dora out without telling me!" I roared, perhaps a bit louder than I should have. Dad shrunk a little bit, but Simon just yelled right back.

"I didn't tell you because I COULDN'T FIND YOU! You were too busy cuddling with your girlfriend to be aware that your SISTER was going through the worst pain imaginable!" Simon yelled, gritting his teeth at me.

"You KNEW where I was! It would have taken FIVE SECONDS to yell for me! I could've helped her! I could've been there for her!" I yelled. For a moment something inside me questioned whether I was really mad at Simon, or at myself. But luckily that part was crushed and I was back to anger.

"I'm sorry I figured that my WEREWOLF brother with SUPER SENSES would hear us and FOLLOW US TO MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T DIE!" Simon yelled.

That's what got me. He was right. It WAS my fault. I'd ignored the sounds and scents, instead getting lost in Chloe. They _could've_ died, if the Edison Group had caught up with them. Dora could've died from the Change, because as far as I knew nothing like this had ever happened before to her. It was probably from the adrenaline. And who knows WHAT else they pumped into her.

I glared at Simon again. I remembered that look that Dora had given Simon in the clearing. The way she looked at him like he was some sort of white knight.

The way _he _had looked at _her_, like he'd never seen her before. The thought of him kissing her, touching her…

I'd rip his head off. I'd tear him to shreds, I'd-

Wait, WHAT!?

Was I really that territorial over Dora? _Yes._ OK… but I mean, come ON! Think about it. Out of all of us, I've known Simon the most amount of time. Yet if it were him or Chloe? I'd have to save her. Him or Dora? Dora, of course. Simon or Tori? Ok, he wins that one.

"… over this." Dad was saying.

"Um, sorry dad, can you repeat that?" I asked. Dad looked a little annoyed-I got the feeling he'd been talking for a while.

"Basically, I said that Derek, you need to not be so territorial-I know it's going to be hard, but Dora doesn't seem like someone who would take kindly to being micro-managed. And Simon, you need to stop being so hard on Derek. Everyone makes mistakes."

I glared at Simon, "One more thing. Do. Not. Put the moves on my sister."

"What? Derek, I'm sure Simon wouldn't… Simon?" Dad said, obviously confused.

The look Simon gave me clarified any doubts I had. He _had_ been planning on going after her. Once again that annoyingly reasonable part of my brain spoke up, wondering if _maybe _I should see what Dora wanted, but don't worry, I very quickly squashed that thought.

"Simon… please, just stay away from her." Dad said, sounding weary.

"I can't exactly stay away from her, we live in the same house. But I won't… 'Put the moves on her'" Simon said, using air quotes.

Dad said something else, and we went back into the house.

I went straight to Chloe, kissing her hair. She smelled _so_ good. I could easily get lost in her scent. Like strawberries and sugar and the sun.

I glanced over at Simon and saw him standing like two feet away from Dora, staring at her like he couldn't stop. It didn't help that she was staring at him with that wide-eyed curiosity she had. I told myself to ignore it. After all, last night she'd given the same look to the dishwasher. So she was as interested in Simon as she was in the dishwasher.

_Liar_.

I really wanted my inner voice to SHUT UP, because if I didn't tell myself that she was_ SO _uninterested in him, then I may have to kill him.

The toaster popped a bagel and Dora leapt like a startled cat. I reached out to steady her at the same time Simon did.

Both of our hands hovered about three inches away from her. I glared at Simon, and he glared right back at me. Why couldn't he _back off_!?

I _really_ didn't want to kill him. I usually really liked him. Y'know, when he _wasn't_ putting the moves on my sister.

**Something I want to point out: the difference in space described by Chloe and Derek. Derek sees less space because he is being territorial.**

**Also, don't worry, I don't really plan on having Derek kill Simon.**

**Oh and: MADONNA! Hahah, I listened to her music constantly while writing this. So yeah. **

**Review pleasee**


	8. Chapter 8: Advice from a Friend

**Here it is. **** I'm a little sad because I'm not going to be able to update at all this weekend. Because my laptop doesn't have Word on it. But I am going to be writing if I can (of course I **_**am**_** a sixteen year old hosting a sleepover, so I can't make any promises ;)), and hopefully I'll be able to give you an update on Monday. But I willl be checking my email, so reviews WILL encourage me :D**

**Alright, shoutouts:**

**Vamplover1996: I LOVE THAT!!! Hahah, that review alone made me start this!!!**

**WhisperedWords12: I've tried to explain **_**why**_** he overreacted in this chapter-I'm not sure if I explain it alright though.**

**ReadingInTheDark: Thank you! And I love your name!**

**kenhat: there might be a slight confrontation between them. And Derek will most likely come around eventually**

**xXGh0stXx: He IS being a little overprotective, but I've tried to explain why in this chapter. Tell me how I did…**

**DISCLAIMER: Trust me. I don't own it. If I did, this would be on a fancy-schmancy website with glitter. I love glitter :D**

**DPOV (Dora's POV)**

Derek and Simon were glaring at each other, holding their hands a few inches away from me.

"I'm fine." I said, my voice confused. What were they doing? They were brothers, they shouldn't be fighting.

Chloe cleared her throat, and went to get the bagel from the toaster. I watched her like a hawk- I was _never_ going to helpless about anything ever again-even if it was just about making food.

She held up butter and cream cheese and asked me which one I wanted. I shrugged. I had no idea. She slathered cream cheese on one, and butter on another one. I took the plate to the table, and saw that Derek and Simon were still glaring at each other.

"Derek!" I whispered, low enough that no one else would hear. His gaze flickered to me, back to Simon, to Chloe, to his dad, to me again. Like a really stupid inner merry-go-round.

Derek came and sat by me, grunting.

I rolled my eyes and spoke, "What's wrong with you and Simon?"

"Nothing."

"Right, nothing. That's why you're looking at him like you're going to kill him." I said sarcastically. Yes, I knew sarcasm. You don't grow up around maniacal nurses without learning they aren't always literal.

"Fine. You want to know why? Because I think he-he likes you!" he hissed, as if this were really a punishable offense.

"Oh my god. He likes me. That really _is _bad," I said in my same sarcastic tone. Derek rolled his eyes and muttered something about me having his sense of humor.

"I'm protective of you" he said.

I sighed, "Well, thanks. But what if I like him too?" I asked him, curiously.

He looked sideways at me.

"It's the same." He said low, "You should-you should be with another werewolf."

He shuddered, as if the idea of anyone being with me made him mad.

"Why!?" I asked, louder than I meant to, because Chloe and Simon (who had been watching us with concern at our low and near-silent conversation) jumped.

"Sorry." I mumbled to them, and turned back to Derek, "You're with Chloe. She's not a werewolf!"

"Yes but… you know about mates?" he asked gruffly.

"Some."

"Chloe _is_ my mate, even if I am usually in denial about it. I will always love her, no matter what. But she can choose to leave me. It may be hard for her, but she can do it, and she can live a relatively happy life without me. If Simon is your m-m-mate," he stammered, a light pink color gracing his cheeks, "Then you will _always_ love him. But I've seen Simon with other girls. All of them, I've watched him move through them with vague disinterest. I was detached, but I still saw them. If he moved on from you, and left you alone… I couldn't stand that. He'd have a choice, but you wouldn't. You would be in love with him forever. You should be with a werewolf, because then you'd be his mate too."

I sat there as Derek stood up and stalked out of the room. I was in shock. I'd never thought about Simon as my-my _mate_. He was just someone who was there for me. He would protect me. He made me feel safe. But _mate_? I'd just met him yesterday!

"Dora? Are you OK?" Simon asked, reaching out and touching my arm gently. His eyes shone with worry and concern.

I stood up and ran out of the room. I couldn't deal with this. Was he my mate? Did I want him to be? DID I EVEN LIKE HIM!?!? So many questions. If I asked Chloe, she'd get all stutter-y and blushing. I couldn't ask Simon or Derek for obvious reasons. Or their dad, because even with my limited understanding of human relationships, I knew that would be awkward.

I went to find Tori.

**TPOV**

So I'd been scared. BIG FREAKIN WHOOP.

Despite what Simon and Derek seemed to believe, I wasn't an unfeeling b-witch.

Like wolf-boy's sister, Dora. Wolf-girl? Nah, it didn't fit her. Although seeing her throw that freaky half-wolf psycho into the wall at the HQ had been pretty wolfy. I felt bad for her. I mean, after what she described… I barely knew her, but I was more than ready to kill whoever would do that to her.

Which was strange-to think I liked someone I barely knew. But Dora exuded this kind of… niceness. I couldn't imagine her ever being mean. Like Chloe but somehow less annoying. I think it was because Chloe was always apologizing. I couldn't be nice the way she was, so she annoyed me.

Dora was new and fresh, untarnished by stupid ideas. She was the quintessential feminist. She had no reason to lean on men, to play the part of damsel.

A sudden knock on my door pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Who is it?" I called, hoping that Chloe didn't want to talk about my little admission earlier. I couldn't think of anyone else who'd be knocking. Derek would just storm into my room and tell me whatever he wanted to. Simon was still ignoring me.

"It's me, Dora." Came a smooth, lilting voice.

"Come in" I called, sitting up on my bed. _This_ should be interesting.

Dora came in and sat across the room in one of the folding chairs I'd discovered stored in the closet.

"… Yes?" I asked, after several minutes of silence.

"Derek said something to me… It made me think…" whatever she was saying, she was having trouble getting it out.

"Did he say something stupid? Say the word and I'll hurl a ball of lightning at him." I joked, trying to alleviate the mood. Sure enough, Dora's face was once again brightened by her smile. She was just as cheery as Chloe (normally).

"Nothing like that. It's just… I started to Change last night." She blurted.

I nodded slowly, wondering where this was going.

She must've taken my slow nod as me not understanding, because she said, "Into a wolf!"

"Yes…" I said, nodding quicker.

"And when I started to change, I couldn't find Derek, but Simon saw me and came along. It was awful-like my body was trying to kill itself-but he stayed. He held me and helped me, even when I was in so much pain I could barely see. He stayed by me. And I don't know… Derek thinks Simon _likes _me. Which I don't understand at _all_," she stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath before plunging on.

"I'm not sure what I feel about him. I feel safe. But Derek thinks Simon is my MATE, and I don't even know if I like him, and Derek is acting like I'm already lost to him, and he's ALSO acting like I have a choice on who my mate is!"

Dora looked so distraught that, even though my stomach was doing little flops reminding me of how _I'd_ liked Simon, I impulsively hugged her.

She stiffened in my arms, and for a moment I thought I'd made a mistake. But she hugged me back-HARD, really hard for someone who hadn't been able to move _Chloe_ last night.

When I pulled back she was crying. "Dora?! What's wrong? I'm sorry!" I was apologizing without knowing what I'd done wrong. Crap, if I screwed this up…

"Nothings _wrong,_ Tori. But Chloe didn't hug me. She acted like I was about to dissolve into tears. And Derek treats me like I'm a stupid fragile butterfly. Simon hugged me, and now you did! I'm so happy that I have real _friends_!" Dora said, smiling but still crying.

"Maybe Chloe wasn't so far off with the whole 'bursting into tears thing'…" I muttered, then cringed. It was the kind of thing Simon would have rolled his eyes at, and Chloe would've called mean. But Dora was smiling still.

"Hahah! You're right."

"Well, I'm not sure what advice I can give you. I know literally nothing about 'mates', except I'm assuming it's a werewolf thing. But… what I can tell you is this: Derek has what he thinks are your best intentions in mind. Notice I said what he _thinks._ Even Mr. Super-Genius Wolf-Boy can be wrong sometimes."

"Derek doesn't like it when you call him that. Maybe you should call him Wolf-man." Dora giggled. In a few seconds I got the joke, and laughed too.

"But I see what you mean. What he says comes from the heart. Even if apparently his heart can be hard-headed."

I smiled at Dora. This was easy-like talking to my friends at home. Suddenly I felt a pang of homesickness. No, I hadn't been as popular as my sister. But I had some friends. They had problems that were… somewhat similar to Dora's. Y'know, without the mates and the Change and the hyper-protective werewolf brother.

I thought fondly back on that life. When I was just Tori, who was maybe a little mean and nerdy, but cool. Normal. What a weird word. I mean, I was supposedly normal, but inside I was as far from it as you could get. I was a witch. I was more than that-I wasn't even normal _among_ witches.

We were a really strange and rag-tag group, but we were all bonded. Even if I sometimes _really_ didn't like them. They made me not miss being normal so much.

"Are you ok, Tori?" asked Dora.

"Fine." I said, smiling slightly.

"But what should I do about Simon?" Dora asked nervously, biting her lip.

"Do you like him?" I asked bluntly. Maybe I should have been more cautious, but I wasn't the type to beat around the bush.

"I don't know. I've never liked anyone before. I've never had the chance. The only people I've ever known are my brothers, the doctors and nurses, and the demi-demon. None of them were exactly boyfriend material. And anyway, who has time? Especially now. I need to get stronger-I'm as weak as a butterfly." Dora sighed.

"First of all, just try and gage how you feel around him. Second-if Chloe and wolf-boy, I mean wolf-MAN, can have their little storybook romance, you can at least flirt with Simon. And as for getting stronger… ask your brother. He can teach you how to be all werewolf-strong." I laughed. The thought of giant Derek trying to teach tiny little Dora… it was hilarious.

"Ha-hah, yes. I know I'm not very impressive. But thank you, Tori. You're… probably my first real friend."

There was something so true, so honest in Dora's expression. Maybe I had been a cold witch. I wouldn't dwell on it. Because, even if it killed me, I was going to do my best to be Chloe-cheerful.

"Alright then. Let's go find Derek and get you started getting stronger." I said, standing.

We walked down the stairs, and into the backyard.

This was going to be interesting.

**HOW WAS IT?**

**This was hard to write. I needed to get a Tori POV in there, but it's hard keeping her in character. I liked writing in Dora's POV, because I love her strange innocence and naiveté. **

**Oh and I know this sounds weird but once again, I am this devoted to you: $100 gift card to Amazon. That means $200 for books. And I am not using it. Because I want to stay focused. See how devoted I am :D**

**Once again, MADONNA inspired this chapter. I love her. And I love my reviewers & readers. When I see how many people read this, I feel all warm and gooey and disgustingly cheerful about it. I never thought anybody would read my writing! **

**3**


	9. Chapter 9: Talking and Training

**I'm not sure about this chapter. I had trouble writing it, and honestly thought about stopping. However, all of the reviews made me keep going. I'm tired and having a horrible day. I got a 0 on a Creative Writing quiz, putting me down to a 79%, and I got a 65 on my Geometry Quiz. **

**Thanks for all the birthday wishes, this weekend was so much fun. We spent almost two hours playing 'don't let the balloon touch the floor'. There were six sixteen year-olds and a seventeen year old. And that was the most fun I've had in months. **

**Shoutouts: TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED: I love you guys!!! :D NOTHING is better than reviews!**

**kenhat: I'm so glad you like Tori's POV. I love her character, and I wish we'd gotten to know her more.**

**ReadingInTheDark: I know. It's taking all my willpower not to start buying.**

**WhisperedWords12: I'm glad I explained it well, I wasn't sure. And thanks :D**

**Believeinfairies: I usually don't like it when people add their own characters-they always give them incredibly rare powers, strange names, and they make them omniscient. I'm trying to show faults and shortcomings. And yeah, I think in a few chapters I'll tell Chloe and Derek's story.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own DP, because if I did, I wouldn't have time to write this (because there'd be twenty books XD)**

**DPOV (Dora POV)**

Tori was a good friend. Which was strange, because from what I'd gotten from everyone else was that Tori was someone to avoid. But she was sweet, even if she was a little scathing.

But when I got downstairs I couldn't help but feel a little worried. Tori had made it all sound so easy- flirt with Simon, find out if I liked him, and train with Derek.

Here were the problems:

How do I flirt?

How do I know if I like him?

Where is Derek?

I decided to start with number three. I left through the back door, and lifted my head to the wind. I wasn't the best tracker-the Edison Group had been disappointed in that. I was great with scents-something they'd apparently tweaked-but not-so-good with following them.

But I was going to try. I caught Derek's scent-woodsy, earthy, and a little sharp something at the end. I started following it, keeping my nose in the air.

I thought about sniffing Tori and Simon. They smelled _a lot_ alike. Eerily alike. Either they'd been living in the same bed for their entire lives, or they were somehow related. I filed that away to ask Mr. Bae about later.

Wait a second, where was-I lost Derek's scent. Crap. I turned and caught the wind again-he'd changed direction.

I came upon him sitting at the base of a tree, looking into the distance.

"Derek?" I asked, my voice shaking a little bit. I struggled to keep my emotions in check. Damn tears. I just wanted to hug him.

He looked up, and I was stunned to see wet tear tracks running down his cheeks. In a split second I was moving, my brain barely comprehending what I was doing before I was there, wrapping my arms around him.

A few seconds later, his arms were around me too, and we were trapped in a bone-crushing hug. His breaths were ragged, too low for human ears. I hoped I wasn't crying too much, but it seemed to be a lost cause.

Sitting here, hugging each other, reminded me of all the times I'd prayed that he was going to rescue me. When I'd wanted nothing more than to feel my brother hug me.

"Derek?" I asked a few minutes later. He pulled away, his hand still on my shoulder.

"Yeah?" he asked in a low tone, looking at the dirt.

"Um… will you train me?" I asked. I'd wanted to tell him to back off from Simon, or ask him to tell me more about being mates, but I'd chickened out and asked him my original question.

Derek let out a low chuckle, and gave me a look that said that he knew that wasn't my question.

"Sure… why?" he asked, standing swiftly, and starting to head back into the house.

I ran to catch up with him, "Because Chloe's stronger than me. Because I need to know how to defend myself-and my pack." I said, with absolute conviction.

He smiled vaguely, "I guess you're right. I can't have my beta not knowing how to fight."

I nearly screamed with happiness.

"BETA!!!" I yelled, running a few feet ahead of him.

"Yeah. I mean, you're really the only candidate. It's not like I have a troupe of wolves at my command." Derek laughed.

"So? You picked _me_! I feel like I could do anything, like I could-" I jumped up, reaching for a low branch. Normally I would have fallen down, or, if I was lucky, grabbed the branch, hung there for a nanosecond, and _then_ crashed down.

Instead, I was able to lift myself up with one arm, reaching and grabbing until I was nearly at the top of the huge fir tree.

"DORA! Get down here!" Derek was struggling to sound mad, but there was concern in his voice.

I swung back down, grinning goofily.

"I thought you needed training?" Derek asked drily.

"I do! I don't know… it's like when I threw that psycho off Chloe yesterday." I said, confused.

"Probably adrenaline…" Derek said, frowning slightly as we walked on.

I prepared myself for training, and probably pain, as we entered the yard.

**CPOV**

After Derek and then Dora ran out of the room, things got awkward fast. Simon sat down at the table, seemingly near tears. I wanted to run after Derek, but if the way Dora had ran out of here was any clue, he probably wanted to be alone.

I went to make myself something to eat, but ended up just standing by the stove, thinking about Derek.

When Kit came down, he immediately noticed the awkwardness of the room.

"Where's Tori, Derek, and Dora?" he asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee and surveying the room.

Simon just put his head down on the table. So it was up to me to talk. Again. Great.

"Derek and Dora stormed out. I think Tori's still in bed." I said, mercifully without stuttering.

"_Tori_ is right here." Said a voice from my right. I jumped slightly, and turned to see a smirking Tori.

"Why did they storm off?" asked Kit.

I opened my mouth, but Tori cut me off.

"Derek said something stupid, and Dora needed to talk it over. She just went to find him." Tori said, grabbing the milk and pouring herself a bowl of cereal.

I sat in a chair, the air rushing out of me. Dora had gone to talk to Tori, instead of me? I mean, I knew we weren't great friends, but I'd thought… I'd spent more time with her than Tori had.

I internally chastised myself. I should be _happy_ that Dora and Tori were getting along. I should be THRILLED. But instead, I felt… jealous. I felt like Dora was such a big part of Derek's life, and I was a big part of his life… so we should be BFF's.

Yes, it was beyond idiotic. We were on the run from an organization hell-bent on killing us. I should _not_ be sulking over the fact that my new friend likes someone else better than me.

"Are you ok, Simon?" asked Tori.

Everyone turned to look at her. Since when did Tori care about Simon?

"I was just wondering!" she said, blushing.

Oh god, I hoped Tori wasn't going to start liking Simon again. Not while Dora had her eye on him.

"I'm fine" mumbled Simon, putting his head back down.

"Are you sure, son?" asked Kit, sitting beside Simon.

I was at the perfect vantage point to see Simons face as he turned away from his father. He looked confused, sad, and tired.

That last part reminded me that it was six-no, seven-AM, and not one of us had gotten a bit of sleep. Well, except for Tori.

We ate in silence for a while, until we heard what sounded like a tree being ripped from the soil. Everyone jumped to their feet and ran outside. What we saw surprised us.

Dora was running from Derek, and she leapt into the air to grab a branch. She did her best gymnast impression, curling herself up before flipping off backwards and starting to run again. In a few seconds, despite her gymnastics, Derek had reached her.

"Gotcha!" he cried triumphantly.

"No fair! You broke those branches I was using!" Dora complained, leaning over and panting.

"No, it wasn't fair. But the Edison Group doesn't play fair either." He said, smiling.

Dora looked up and saw us.

"Hey guys! Derek's training me to be stronger!" she said brightly.

"OK…" said Kit, looking unsure.

Tori just smiled and perched on the deck railing.

Simon looked confused and unhappy, while I just felt confused.

"Sorry about before, Simon." Said Dora distractedly, looking back at Derek, who was frowning.

Before Simon could respond, she was running again, and Derek was right on her heels. Tori waved her fingers slightly, and a tree root moved slightly over, causing Derek to fall.

Dora shrieked with laughter as she ran onto the deck. She lifted herself up to sit by Tori.

"Thanks Tori!" Dora laughed.

Derek stood and glared angrily over at the two of them, muttering something unintelligible under his breath.

"Come on, Derek! There _is_ a good chance that if I fight, Tori will be there." Dora said, grinning at whatever Derek had said.

Tori began demonstrating to Kit, Dora and (surprisingly) even Simon how she made the tree move.

He came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and leaning down to my ear.

"Why are Dora and Tori being so… nice to each other?" he asked, his warm breath sending shivers down my sides.

I leaned back into him slightly and tilted my head up to meet his emerald eyes.

"I think Dora and Tori are friends" I whispered, watching his mouth.

"Why?" he asked, before leaning down and capturing my mouth with his.

His lips were soft against mine, his hands skimming my waist, pulling me backwards into him. I opened my mouth beneath his, and shuddered as I felt his teeth graze my lips. I tangled my hands in his hair and his tongue skipped over my lip…

"AHEM!"

I pulled away to find a VERY red Kit, a depressed looking Simon, Tori rolling her eyes, and Dora laughing.

Sure enough, I felt heat rising up my cheeks. It wasn't even like we'd just been _caught_ making out-we'd started in front of everyone-his dad, brother, sister, and Tori.

Dora hopped off the railing and came over to me.

"Don't worry about it, Chloe. I heard it's very hard for mates to keep their hands off each other. It's surprising you haven't jumped each others bones yet." Dora said.

Tori nearly fell off the deck laughing, Kit turned around and went inside, and Simon continued looking depressed, although the corners of his mouth twitched at this.

Derek squeezed the bridge of his nose between his fingers.

"Dora… that really isn't the type of thing you say in front of other people… or at all. And anyway, I thought you didn't know much about mates?" Derek asked, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"I know _very _little. But every once in a while a nurse would be sloppy, and I would get a glance at notes. Once or twice they let me in the library-but whenever I started reading about werewolves they would make me leave." Dora said, biting her lip.

Derek nodded, satisfied, and started to guide me back into the house.

Dora took the few steps over to stand in front of Simon. She touched his arm and said something, but he just looked down. She leaned over and whispered something in his ear, something that made Derek bristle and Simon smile.

I would have given anything to have werewolf hearing at that moment.

**OK, how was it? As hard as this was to write, it's the longest chapter so far! Sooo, any suggestions? I have the ending planned out, as well as most of the character progressions, but I'm having trouble with believable situations.**

**Um, no music really inspired this chapter, but a delicious BLT made me write more, so… I dedicate this chapter to BLTs everywhere. XD**

**So, review please **


	10. Chapter 10: Screams and Confusion

**If you can believe it, I actually started this less than and hour after I posted the last one. It took me longer to write because I **_**needed**_** to get different perspectives on the same events-I just hope it isn't too repetitive.**

**This is going to be (probably) the last update for this week. I have a short story due on Friday that I was supposed to have been working on for two weeks. Thank god I do good under pressure!**

**Oh and, CHAPTER 10!!! This is the longest I've ever gone on a story!!! :D I am SO proud.**

**Shout outs:**

**LynxIt: OMG when I saw your review I was like XD sooo long! I am planning a chapter (maybe chapter 12) where Dora has a dream which explains most of what she knows. And yeah, I love my name **** Yours is pretty awesome too**

**DISCLAIMER: I wish I owned DP, because then I could skip Creative Writing class. Sadly I don't**

**DPOV (Dora's POV)**

I ran from Derek, breathlessly grinning at him. I reached for a branch and pulled myself up onto another one, kicking my legs out to link around another one.

But Derek-mean old spoilsport Derek-broke the branch, making me fall. I hit the ground with the balls of my feet, running faster. I heard him curse behind him, and grinned yet again.

This was exhilarating.

I heard the door open, but I refused to let that break my concentration. I grabbed another branch, curling up over it. Derek sped past-a split second off, but that was all I needed. Carefully angling my body, I flipped backwards and hit the ground running.

I saw Simon out of the corner of my eye and slowed down. In a second Derek was grabbing my arm, spinning me around to face him.

"Gotcha!" he cried out happily, his eyes blazing.

"No fair! You broke those branches I was using!" I complained, bending over to catch my breath.

"No, it wasn't fair. But the Edison Group doesn't play fair either." He grinned at me, breathing heavily as well-although I bitterly noted that he at least wasn't panting like a fool.

I looked up then, spotting Chloe, Simon, Tori, and Mr. Bae all staring at us.

"Hey guys! Derek's training me to be stronger!" I said as cheerfully as I could manage-my heart was pounding as I allowed my eyes to slide over Simon.

My first impression of him had been that he was a little geeky, a little dorky. But now I saw _him_. Maybe he wasn't as ripped as Derek, but he had some muscles. He was very well-built, strong and… looking very depressed.

Mr. Bae said something, but my eyes stayed glued to Simon.

"Sorry about before, Simon." I said, looking at Derek, who was frowning. He was uncomfortable. I could tell Simon was about to say something, so I moved.

I started running, shooting Derek a teasing look. Sure enough his eyes glinted as he started chasing after me.

I was still winded from running before, so Derek was easily faster than me. I glanced over to the deck and located Tori sitting on the railing. She saw me and smiled, waving her fingers.

The next thing I heard was a grunt and an 'oof'. Sure enough, when I looked back, Derek was on the ground. I laughed as I ran up on the deck, lifting myself up to sit on the railing next to Tori.

"Thanks Tori," I said, smiling at her. She was a good friend-I didn't understand why no one else seemed to like her.

Derek was standing up, he shot a glare our way and said lowly, "Like _that_ would ever actually happen in a battle."

"Come on, Derek! There _is_ a good chance that if I fight, Tori will be there." I said, grinning broadly at him. He huffed and walked up to the deck.

Mr. Bae and Simon came over and Mr. Bae asked Tori how she did that. My eyes were glued to her as she showed the complicated way she moved her hands, but she couldn't replicate the spell.

"Why are Dora and Tori being so… nice to each other?" came a low voice I recognized as Derek's. I sent a sidelong glance over to see the two of them wrapped up in each other.

"I think Dora and Tori are friends" Chloe whispered, staring at him like he was the sun.

"Why?" he asked, kissing her.

That annoyed me. Not the kissing part. Why couldn't I be friends with Tori? Why was everyone so freaking prejudiced against her.

I heard a light giggle from Tori, and turned to see her pointing at Derek and Chloe, who were very-_very_-wrapped up in each other.

"AHEM!" said Mr. Bae, his face bright red. I laughed-it was hilarious that they thought _this _was bad. I'd read a little on werewolves in the nurses notes, and from what I'd gotten, this was beyond tame.

Chloe was the color of a tomato, and Derek was even blushing a little. I figured I should probably enlighten them, so I jumped off the railing onto the deck and walked over to them.

"Don't worry about it, Chloe. I heard it's very hard for mates to keep their hands off each other. It's surprising you haven't jumped each others bones yet." I said, smiling. I felt very useful-it was important to know as much as you could.

Mr. Bae turned on his heel and walked inside, Tori started laughing so hard she nearly fell off, and even Simon gave a little smile.

Derek sighed and blushed, saying, "Dora… that really isn't the type of thing you say in front of other people… or at all. And anyway, I thought you didn't know much about mates?"

"I know _very _little. But every once in a while a nurse would be sloppy, and I would get a glance at notes. Once or twice they let me in the library-but whenever I started reading about werewolves they would make me leave." I said, biting my lip. This wasn't _entirely_ true. But I didn't want to tell him that that was another part of their psychological warfare. Letting me read about werewolves, and then pointing out how different I was. It had only worked for a little while.

But Derek seemed to accept this answer, and turned to guide Chloe back into the house.

I turned to Simon and smiled slightly. Now onto him…

I went over to him, and smiled slightly. No response. I sighed and tried again, reaching out to slide my arm down his arm.

"I really am sorry about earlier, Simon. It's just hard to know what I feel." I said, but he just looked down at the ground.

I leaned over and put my lips next to his ear, "But I know that I want to find out how I feel. Can you help me with that?"

Simon looked up and smiled, bright and happy.

Derek's bristle and grumble was not lost on me, but I chose to ignore it.

I took Simon's hand and we walked down to where there was a stump of a tree.

"How can I help you?" he asked, still smiling at me.

I looked at him for a long moment. What I'd said before. Maybe he wasn't ridiculously muscled like Derek, but he was strong. He was safe. He…

He hugged me.

To say I was surprised would have been the most heinous understatement in a century. I was _shocked._ That wasn't to say I didn't like it. I loved it. He hugged me tightly, like a boa constrictor.

"S-Simon?" I asked, still in his arms.

He pulled back, looking worried.

"I'm sorry! You just looked like you could use a hug." He said, frowning.

I smiled and hugged him. Maybe it was terrifyingly unexpected, but it had been _sweet_ for Simon to want to hug me.

I don't know how long we sat there-him hugging me and telling me about what his life had been like before all of this-me hugging him and listening with rapt attention.

A scream broke us out of our embrace. Without conscious thought my brain identified the scream and made my legs start running.

It was Chloe.

**CPOV**

I hadn't meant to. I didn't! I wasn't thinking about summoning!

But I'd been napping-drifting in and out of sleep. And apparently there'd been a body where I'd been sleeping. Which was in one of the first-floor bedrooms.

So yeah. I raised a dead body. Which was crawling towards me. FREAKING ME THE HELL OUT!

I vaguely heard a scream, apparently my own. I was trying to get away from the corpse dragging itself towards me.

It was little more than a skeleton, with little pieces of maggoty flesh hanging off. Ew.

I was nearly against the wall when Dora flashed through the door.

She pressed against me, her back to me, ready to defend me. When she saw what it was, she screamed louder than I had.

"Oh my GOD THAT IS A ZOMBIE!" she screamed, pushing me farther into a corner.

"I-I-I a-accidentally sum-summoned it." I stuttered, breathing fast.

"Then RELEASE IT!" screeched Dora, pushing against me as much as she could.

"Why are you pushing on me?!" I yelled, freaking out.

"Because there's a dead body and I have to protect you, but I'm FREAKING OUT!" she screamed, obviously also freaking out.

Simon and Tori ran through the door. When they saw the body, however, they too started screaming.

"Release it Chloe!" yelled Dora, her arms splayed out like a shield against the corpse.

"I can't!" I yelled. Simon and Tori were yelling for Derek, Dora was yelling at me to 'release it, release it, just get it the hell away from' her, and I was not able to concentrate. I closed my eyes and tried to calm down.

Then Derek came into the room, and _he _started yelling for everyone to be quiet, but Dora let out a loud, piercing scream.

My eyes popped open to see the corpse pulling itself up in front of her, it's jaw hanging down to meet it's spine.

"STOP IT!" Dora screamed, pressing backwards.

The room was filled with screams, and I dimly recognized Kit in the room as well.

"JUST GO!" Dora screamed, throwing her arms out to push the corpse down. Or at least that's what it looked like.

The corpse bent towards her, and a tiny curl of what looked like gray smoke escaped Dora's lips. The body hit the floor, the ghost still standing. It looked stunned.

"What? Who are-" but it cut in and out, like bad transmission.

Dora gripped my arms, her back still to me.

"Chloe-is that a-a-a-a ghost?" she asked, her eyes wide.

The ghost cut out more and more, till all I could hear was e-h-p-I-l-n-type sounds (AKA, total nonsense). Then it zoomed away.

Dora turned to look at me with wide eyes.

"Please tell me you did that." She said, her voice scratchy and low.

**DPOV (Dora's)**

I pressed Chloe back against the corner. Tori and Simon were yelling, and Derek had just burst into the room.

He yelled about being quiet, but I barely heard. I was speaking without realizing it-chanting a mantra.

"Away, away, get it away. Release it, shoot it, crush it, GET IT AWAY! I don't care, I don't care, I don't care, away! Release it, release it, release it!" I chanted, my eyes locked on the corpse. My throat was on fire-I realized I wasn't just chanting, I was _screaming_.

The corpse reared up, it's jaw dangling. It reached out one bone-finger that trailed across my arm. I was screaming, without really realizing it.

"STOP IT!" I screeched, pressing Chloe further into the corner. I was terrified. I just wanted to run-run away, far far away-anywhere else. It was like a memory of a dream. A dead body, crawling over me. But I _had_ to stay and protect Chloe.

"JUST GO!" I screamed, everything in me coming together. My arms flew out, but the corpse bent towards me, and without realizing it I breathed out-a tiny tendril of gray something exited, and passed into the mouth of the zombie.

The body collapsed, and what looked like a shadow stood up still. I could make out long hair, and moving arms.

"What? Who are-" a thin, reedy voice came in and out like bad reception.

It was like a bad television. The static was so loud it was almost deafening.

"Chloe-is that a-a-a-a ghost?" I asked, my eyes widening. Was that a ghost? But, no, it was like a shadow! I reached back and grabbed Chloe's arms.

The ghost faded away, making unintelligible words. Finally it got really, really bright, and zoomed away.

My heart was loud in my ears as I turned to face Chloe.

"Please tell me you did that." I said, my voice low and scratchy.

Chloe opened her mouth, but Derek spoke before she could.

"Of course she did-no thanks to any of you, screaming like that." He said, rubbing her arms and hugging her.

Our eyes were locked as she pulled out of his grip.

"No. No I didn't do a thing."

**Whew. OK. Long one there. I have serious drama planned for next chapter. Oh and I have to say one thing (because if I was reading this, it's something I'd be worried about it), Dora is not a necromancer. She is not a weird hybrid with all these awesome powers. She does have some crappy stuff that was put in her by the Edison Group. But I'm not going to have her be an annoying super-powerful person.**

**This chapter was inspired by **_**some**_** Paramore and some Madonna-and salad. I love salad and hate people that think I must be dieting if I eat salad. I LOVE salad!**

**Alright. **** That's all. Review please**


	11. Chapter 11: Answers? Or more questions?

**OMG. Things have been super-stressful for me lately. Well not really, but they've made it that I wasn't in much of a mood for writing. I had to force myself to start this. But I'm in a good writing mood now, so I might start the next chapter today. So, if I get some reviews, I might post it tonight or early tomorrow! Like, at 9 (I'll be up cause that's when my Geo class is).**

**The automatic score on my short story was 6/6, so that's nice. Even if I hate my story (I always hate my short stories after I start them). Ummm… oh, and I hate the weather. This is why: Tuesday it was 33 degrees. COLD AS HECK (that's 33 Fahrenheit)! Friday I am sitting in front of my air conditioner in shorts and a tank top because it's 88!!! This is the weather, people. It is crap.**

**I FOUND IT!!!!!!! SERIOUSLY!!!!!!!!!!! OMGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!! I found the song for this story!!!!!!!!!! It fits Dora in my head PERFECTLY!!!!! I literally jumped UP AND DOWN for like two straight minutes after I heard it. The video is pretty freaking awesome too. It's Odd One by Sick Puppies. Seriously. PLEASE listen to it. It's now a vital part of my writing process. Look it up on Youtube. Please. Pretty, pretty please. :D with a side of waffles?**

**Shoutouts:**

**QueenOfWeird1995: First of all, I love your name XD. Second, here it is **

**kenhat: I'm glad you like it! And yes, I absolutely love Dora/Simon. Um, I'm going to explain a lot (it'll be in the next chapter), I can't go into specifics because I'll give too much away. And I think I will do a fluffy Dora/Simon chapter. It'll fit in well.**

**nexuswarrior: thank you for this review!!! It actually made me yell at myself so I'd write! So, yeah-thanks! :D And all will be revealed… eventually ;)**

**DISCLAIMER: *looks in mirror* Nope, I'm not Kelley Armstrong. I don't own DP **

**CPOV**

To say the room was dead-quiet after I made my little pronouncement would have been a very big understatement.

Dora stared at me, her eyes as wide as saucers. Derek just studied me like I'd grown four heads. Tori and Simon looked confused, as did Kit.

"What do you mean you didn't do it? We all saw the corpse fall." Derek said gruffly.

"I-I know. But I didn't do it. I wasn't-I-I, I wasn't focused on it at all. I was focused on Dora, trying to figure out a way to get her out of here." I said, stumbling over nearly every word.

"If you didn't do it, then who did?" asked Tori then, stepping further into the room, and very pointedly walking AROUND the body.

"I think I did." Dora said, her voice painfully scratchy.

"How could you do that?" asked Derek.

"I-I don't know." Dora said, looking down at the ground, sounding like a chastised child.

"I know. At least, I know she did it. You pushed him back… somehow. You breathed that smokey thing out, and then he was released. He seemed confused though, and he kept going in and out like-"

"Static." Dora said, looking up at me with shining eyes, "You saw it too! I was so sure that I'd imagined it all-especially that gray smoke thing that came out of my mouth! But how did you know it was a he? I could barely tell it was human."

I was confused, "I could see him almost perfectly. It was the man from the painting. I think you were right, Dora. He died young."

Dora looked down at the floor, "Maybe it was something they did with my DNA. Maybe that was how I could talk to that voice of the demi-demon in my cell…"

I was resolute as I spoke-sounding a million times more stable then I felt, "I'll look it up. Kit, you said that there's a supernatural library here, right? Well, there has to be a book on Necromancers, right? So I'll look it up."

Derek hugged me again, but-for the first time-I found no comfort in his arms. Well, OK, maybe I found a little comfort.

"And I'll go take a shower-I smell like sweat and dead person. Then I think I'll-" yawn, "-go take a nap…" Dora said.

"I'll show you where everything is." Said Simon. It was obvious he just wanted to be alone with her, but we had bigger things to worry about.

"Tori, Derek, would you two help me in the library?" I asked, expecting Derek to agree, and Tori to make some snarky comment. To my surprise, both agreed.

"Are you sure you're going to be OK?" asked Tori to Dora, touching her arm lightly.

Dora nodded shakily, and smiled. Tori being nice? That was more disturbing than Tori being evil.

The three of us (and Kit, leading) tramped our way to the library. When we got there, though, Derek kissed me swiftly and said he would be back, mumbling something about digging.

It wasn't until I was looking through the books that I realized what he meant. Digging a grave for the body I'd raised. Oops.

Both Tori and I had settled down with five books each, and were looking through them for things like 'releasing a body with smoke', or things of that kind.

"I found it!"

**DPOV (Dora's)**

After Simon showed me where the bathroom is, and after he dithered around making sure I had the soap for sensitive skin, and the softer towels, and a bathrobe, he stood their awkwardly, just staring around the bathroom.

"Simon?" I asked, and he jumped backwards.

"Oh-oh! What? Sorry. What?" he said, picking up the bottles he'd backed into.

"Um, it might be easier for me to take a shower if you weren't in the bathroom with me." I said, blushing slightly.

"Oh-right." He smiled, embarrassed. "You didn't get much of a chance to eat breakfast, did you? Why don't I get you something and put it in your room so you can eat before you sleep?"

"Sounds good!" I said, ushering him out. After I shut the door I nearly slid to the floor.

It _did_ sound good. It sounded _amazing_. I was starving. And exhausting. But I smelled.

So I turned on the shower, and fiddled with the handles (Simon had showed me that too). It wasn't until I was IN the shower that I really relaxed. The jets of water from the showerhead propelled hot water on my aching muscles. This had been a crappy, busy day. And it was, what? Like 10 AM? I'd already gone through my first partial change, got a crush on a guy, got in a fight with my brother, gotten a really good friend, made up with my brother, become the _official_ beta of my pack, trained, and released a body.

Yeah. That was a lot.

I showered quickly but happily. The soap smelled clean, and the shampoo was Tori's-it smelled like the lightest floral flowers. Unfortunately I mixed up the bottles and ended up using Chloe's citrus conditioner too. So my head would smell like oranges and flowers. Huh. Odd combo, but whatever.

I stepped out of the shower and dried off. I pulled on the bathrobe and quickly made my way to my room.

Tori and Chloe had each loaned me clothes, but most of Chloe's clothes were too small (I was a little taller then her), and most of Tori's clothes were too big (I was shorter than her, and weighed less too).

But I didn't care. At least I didn't care _a lot_. I wore another pair of Tori's sweatpants, and a too-small long-sleeved tee from Chloe. At least Chloe liked her clothes loose, so it wasn't obscenely tight on me.

Simon opened the door and stepped in just as I was finishing getting dressed.

"Do you ever knock?" I asked, laughing.

He nearly fell over at my voice.

"I-I thought you would still be in the shower! I'm sorry!" he said, setting a tray down on my bed.

All was forgiven the second I looked at the tray. I guess I should've known, since Simon grew up with Derek, but… OMG FOOD.

The tray was piled high with waffles, fruit, bagels, bacon, and a few other things.

"Thank you! Oh my god, Simon, you are GREAT!" I cried, hugging him. He seemed stunned, especially because I'd been so standoffish earlier. But I was sleep-deprived and starving, so… I was feeling a little less careful.

He laughed happily as he nearly fell over with the strength of my hug. Just as quickly as it had begun it was over, and I was sitting on my bed taking a big bite of an apple.

Simon sat on a chair beside my bed, and smiled as he watched me. It made me feel a little self-conscious and it made him seem like a creeper, but I dealt with it. I tried not to be _too_ overzealous with my eating, and I think I managed to at least not look like a wolf.

At last I was done. I think it was the first time in years I've ever really been _full_.

"Thank you again, Simon. You're… amazing." I said, yawning. Definitely sleep-deprived.

Simon gave me one of those slightly-crooked grins, pulling the tray off of my bed.

"Come on, Dora. I know you must be sleep-deprived. You'd never say that to me if you were in the right mind." He pulled my off the bed, pulled down the covers, and very carefully, he pushed me into the bed.

I tried to scowl at him, but all I did was yawn again. Man, these beds were _SOFT_!

Simon leaned down, and brushed his lips against my forehead. Without thinking, I reached up and wrapped my arms around him, lightly kissing his cheek. He was like home, comfortable and…

That was my last thought as I dropped off to sleep.

**CPOV**

"That's it, Tori!" I shrieked happily, hugging her.

She pulled back, giving me a look that clearly said 'WTF?'

"Sorry, I was… excited." I said, blushing fierily, but still smiling.

I read it again, trying to commit it to memory.

_Necromancia Reparia_

_When someone with Necromancer blood in them, yet no discernible Necromancer powers, is confronted with a powerful spirit, they may have a sudden surge of power, described as Necromancia Reparia. This will allow them to banish the spirit and, in some cases of a more powerful one, convene with the spirit. The main difference between Necromancers and someone with the power of Necromancia Reparia is that someone with this power is convening with the spirit on even grounds-the spirit cannot control the person, and they cannot control the spirit. They can only banish when under intense stress, anger, or other strong power._

_A person gifted with this holds their power (literally) inside of them-in the form of holding part of the ghosts 'spirit' inside of them (the form of smoke). When banishing the spirit they release this, calling the ghost away from it's corpsly shell and into the peace again. _

_In ancient texts, this person is supposedly to act as an adapter or band-aid to Necromancers with intensely powerful gifts. This person can channel a Necromancers power, and either divert it, or take on some of it, so that the Necromancer will not be driven insane._

_Necromancia Reparia is not disputed, it is well known. However, there have not been any persons gifted with this power in approx. 600 years. Many experiments have tried to make someone with this power, but they have all been unsuccessful._

That was it. It described her perfectly. It must have been an experiment the Edison Group had tried on Dora. Maybe they'd thought it hadn't worked. But it had… and it was a little strange.

Maybe Dora could help me? I mean, if in the 'ancient texts' it said that someone with this power could help someone like me… but would I want to put Dora through that? I would talk it over with her. _NOT_ with Derek or Simon or Tori around.

"Did you find anything?" came a gruff voice close to my ear. I shot up, my legs shooting out and kicking Tori, and propelling me forward.

"DEREK!" I yelled, turning around.

"Not my fault you're so jumpy." He said, predicting my complaint.

I settled down in the chair and held the book out to him. He took it silently, and read swiftly.

"Sorry for kicking you, Tori." I said to her.

"No problem…" She said, shaking out her hair. It was getting longer-almost to her shoulders. It made her look softer, sweeter. Wait a second, Tori? Sweet? Yeah, right.

I yawned, and Derek's attention snapped back to me.

"We can talk about this later-after you've gotten some sleep." He said, marking the page and standing up.

I _was_ tired. Too tired to argue. I stood and nodded, following him out of the room.

I paused outside of Dora's room, peeking inside to see how she was doing.

'Oh.' I thought, my inner voice surprised. I made a mental note not to let Derek near her room for a while.

Dora lay on her bed, curled up and around Simon, who was cradling her like she was a child, her head buried in his neck. They both snored slightly, breathing in unison.

It was sweet, but I doubted Derek would see it that way.

**There it is! *bows* Not the longest, but I like it. Nice little fluffy ending. The next chapter is going to be an explaining chapter, which means I'll probably write it faster.**

**Would anyone be interesting in a purely Dora/Simon chapter? Unless there's any real dislike of that idea, I have one planned :D its really fluffy.**

**PLEASE listen to the song (Odd One by Sick Puppies)! It fits Dora's life (at least before they saved her) SO FREAKING WELL! It fits CREEPY well!**

**Review please please please please please please please! **


	12. Chapter 12: Remembering a Nightmare

**Bad news people:**

**My stupid substitute Creative Writing teacher told us that it's now required that we submit a new revision every day until Friday. And she's our sub till the end of the year. So that means less time to write this.**

**I have an idea for a new story. It's been dancing around my brain for a while now. But I'm going to resist. I'm going to end this, NOT for at least 10 more chapters, and start a sequel. Once I have at least three chapters of the sequel, I will let myself write a chapter of my new story.**

**OK, that's all the bad news. This is a really weird chapter, and it has lyrics. This is, as I said, a mostly explaining chapter. There's two song lyrics. The first one is Sister Christian by Night Ranger. Awesome song. The second is Odd One by Sick Puppies. Yes I am obsessed with that song right now.**

**Believe it or not, all my dreams have soundtracks. Once I didn't even know the song. So Dora's dream has a soundtrack. Sorry if it doesn't make a lot of sense, I was trying to describe it so that other people would understand it. I thought the songs would help.**

**Also, That 70's Show is awesome. Just saying. =P anyone else watch it? I do every day. ((slight obsession)) my favorite episode of all time is when they steal Fatso.**

**Shoutouts:**

**kenhat: OMG yes, it's raining here too. CONSTANTLY. Flooding and stuff. =( and its HUMID.**

**Everyone else: I'm sorry I can't do individual shoutouts now, but my moms yelling at me to finish my Spanish and take a shower, and I figure you'd rather have it up now then tomorrow.**

**DISCLAIMER: Yes, yes, I own DP. I do. I swear… … … OK, I don't own it. :P**

**DPOV (Dora's)**

I slept well-deeply. But not dreamlessly.

I dreamt in pictures, in memories.

You see, I wasn't entirely clueless. They let me watch TV sometimes, if I did something good. They'd give me a remote and sit me on a couch. I'd watch cartoons sometimes, but they were stupid (although Spongebob did make me laugh sometimes).

My favorite show (at least from the age eleven onwards) was That 70's Show. I didn't understand most of the references, but I laughed along with them.

They didn't let me watch it often, though. They'd let me listen to some music-pumped in from the nurses. That was why I didn't care for most modern music-I'd grown up listening to 80's rock. I would sing myself to sleep with 'Sister Christian' and Madonna.

It was better than crying myself to sleep.

_Sister Christian,_

_Oh, the time has come,_

_And you know_

_That you're the only one to say,_

_Okay._

I'd sing in my head when they'd come for me. I used to think that they couldn't touch me if I sang to myself. They used to laugh at me, quivering on the floor, but not breaking. Sometimes I'd squeak it out a bit. They'd frown and kick me.

"Whatcha saying girl?"

"You want us to stop?"

"Just say the word, girly!"

_Where you goin', _

_What you lookin' for?_

_You know those boys_

_Don't wanna play no more_

_With you._

_It's true._

Never say a word. It was my mantra-I would recite it over and over again when I couldn't even sing in my head.

They'll leave eventually. That's what I'd tell myself as they'd…

If I did say anything, I knew what would happen. It would be wonderful. But it would be awful.

They'd take me to the showers. And I'd get clean. And they'd give me comfortable clothes. They'd give me my favorite meal-beef stew, with potatoes and carrots and onions. So good. Then I'd watch TV until they brought me a hot fudge sundae. When I was tired I'd go to sleep in a giant bed.

But if I didn't tell them more, I'd be back in my cell for a while.

_You're motoring  
What's your price for flight  
In finding mister right  
You'll be all right tonight._

And everything would be the same.

I'd be alone. And the memory of happiness would be like the memory of food. Wonderfully terrible.

Even when I was young I knew it. That it was better _not_ to know then to have something and then feel the loss. That's not to say that there weren't times when I would have to use every iota of my willpower to keep myself from crying out.

To scream that I would do anything. Just take me away from this place. Put me someplace soft. Warm. Put me where my brother was. Even if it was death, it would be sweeter than this agony.

_Babe, you know  
You're growing up so fast  
Mommy's worrying  
That you won't last to say,_

_Let's play._

But, as I'm sure you can tell… I never did. Not that they would've listened. They just would've told me to tell them what they wanted.

"This can all be over in a second, pet. Just tell us what you are. Tell us that you _want_ the next injection!"

No. I never, ever, ever would.

But still, there were the nice ones. The nice nurses, the ones who would bring me chocolate bars and brownies and apples. They didn't last long, but I remember them so well.

Crinkly-eyed smiles. Soft hands, lifting me and putting me on my pad/bed. Lips on my forehead. Sweet words that were meant to comfort. But they didn't belong here.

"So small…"

_Sister Christian  
There's so much in life  
Don't you give it up  
Before your time is due_

_It's true._

It was true. I was tiny. That was something they hated.

_Sister Christian,_

_Oh, the time has come,_

_And you know_

_That you're the only one to say,_

_Okay._

Okay.

I woke up then, lurching into the air, gasping for breath.

"Dora?" asked a sleepy voice. I turned to see Simon half-fallen out of bed. I smiled at him.

I laid back beside him, and we fit together. His arms around me, my head in his neck, breathing him in.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low and tired.

"Yes." I said, and my voice sounded strange to my ears. Unused.

"Do you want me to leave?"

I let that question hang there for a few long moments.

"No."

The way this felt… I could forget. Maybe.

And I was dreaming again.

I knew more than I let on.

I wasn't an _idiot._

I'd watched CSI. Once.

So I waited until the nurse wasn't looking, and I grabbed a page out of the file and read it.

I can't remember the exact wording, but they were injecting me with stuff to see if I would get any different powers.

Like the DNA of a witch.

Actually, that's all they were doing. Other than my everyday strength-reducers. I wanted to wonder why but someone was coming.

Straight in, grab the page, straight out.

That night I laid awake all through the night. They pumped in heavy metal.

"This is what happens to little girls who snoop."

Pain. I'm so tired. Pain. I'm so hungry. Pain.

_Odd one you're never alone,  
I'm here and I will reflect you,  
Both of us basically unattached to anything or anyone unless we're pretending._

The slightest breeze caressing me.

"Sweet child…"

"W-who are you?" I asked, sitting up and pulling my knees to my chest.

"My name isn't important. I'm a demi-demon. What's your name, child?"

"I don't-I mean, my name isn't important. I'm a wolf. What's a demi-demon?" I asked, looking around for her.

Laughter.

"Don't bother looking for me, child. I'm not… in my body at the moment. A demi-demon… well, I'm powerful, and I'm the only thing keeping your experiment going."

"You? Why? Why do you want to hurt me?" I asked, pressing my lips together. If this… demi-demon, was what was hurting me. Then I'd get rid of her.

_You live your life in your head,  
Some call it imagination,  
I'd rather focus instead on anything except,  
What I'm feelin,  
What I'm feelin,  
Odd one..._

"Oh, gods, child. If it were up to me, I'd let you go. I don't want to see you hurt. I don't have the power to save myself, let alone you."

She sounded so sad. So… devastated.

"It's going to be okay…" I said, reaching out into the empty room. Once again, the breeze caressed me.

_Hey,  
It's gonna be OK,  
Hey,  
We're gonna laugh at this one day._

"So brave."

And then she was gone. I could feel it-a tangible loss of pressure in the room.

That wasn't the only time she talked to me.

She told me all sorts of things. Like how all I had to do was yell something about 'Jacinda' to Dr. Davidoff and he'd leave me alone. That worked for a while.

She told me that they wanted to see me go insane-they wanted me to lose my humanity.

So I asked the nurses politely to please stop hurting me.

Their faces were _hilarious_.

The pain afterwards wasn't. I could tell she felt bad afterwards (the demi-demon). I asked her every night-whether she was there or not-what her name was. Finally she answered me.

"Oh for goodness sakes, it's Diriel you incessant chatterer!"

_Odd one I wish I was you,  
You're never concerned with acceptance,  
We are all desperately seeking out and fitting in with any one who will accept us,  
_

Sometimes at night I'd stay awake, tears rolling down my cheeks. Sweet surrender loomed on the horizon.

I was so close…

_But not you,  
Odd one..._

"Please… I'll do anything."

_Hey,  
It's gonna be OK,  
Hey,  
We're gonna laugh at this one day,_

Hey,  
It's gonna be OK,  
Hey,  
Gonna laugh at this one day,

Hey,  
It's gonna be OK,  
Hey,  
We're gonna laugh at this one day.

I woke up for good this time, barely able to breathe. I was okay. I was okay. I was safe.

_Don't let someone tell you you're no-one,  
Don't let someone tell you you're no-one,  
Odd one..._

I laid back down. At least Simon hadn't woken up this time.

I placed my head on his arm. At least Derek hadn't walked in. That was enough to make me smile a little bit.

"It's gonna be okay."

**Definitely the longest chapter. I'm not sure if I like it. This lyrics thing is not going to become an every-chapter occurrence. This is actually probably going to be the only one with that. If this is too confusing for you, just say so and I'll try and respond to you and tell you what I wanted it to say. **

**Next chapter is the fluff, because so far everyone seems to be all for it. :D yayy!**

**Good news: this has officially become my procrastination. My procrastination=more chapters! :D yayy for you!**

**I dedicate this chapter to the songs used, root beer, and various fruits. I hate dieting, but I do like fruit. And also brownies. :-D**

**Review please please please!**

**P.S. Yep, I'm going to start writing as soon as I take my Spanish test. Unless I get a bad grade ((which I have a feeling I might)), in which case I'm going to have to treat myself to some Sims 3 before I start writing.**


	13. Chapter 13: Sweet Bliss

**On the one hand, this is incredibly fluffy. On the other hand… well, you'll see. I like this chapter. It's insanely short, but I'm going to write the next chapter ASAP (AKA-today).**

**This might end slightly quicker than I thought it would. Like maybe 20 chapters? And then a sequel?**

**Eh.**

**A couple people said they didn't like the song lyrics or they were confusing. Yeah. They probably were. That was one of those chapters where I just wanted to delete it all, and I probably would've if I hadn't had such nice reviews. But I'm not planning on doing that again. **

**DISCLAIMER: I own this as much as I own a car. Which, sadly, is 0%.**

**SPOV**

After Dora woke up, I stayed awake for a while. I watched her sleep. When she slept, it was easy for me to imagine that she was mine.

That I could lean over and kiss her forehead (I did), or hug her tightly (I did that too). When she slept she looked like the most delicate and beautiful angel. I wanted to protect her. I wanted to make sure _nothing _ever hurt her-and that included Derek.

Her forehead wrinkled and she made a slight noise-something that I normally would've ignored. If it had been Tori, Derek… even Chloe. I wouldn't have done what I did. I pulled Dora over so that she was closer to me, and gently 'shhhhh'-ed her. Like you'd do to comfort a baby.

The warmth of her next to me… it was _bliss_.

Before I knew it I was asleep. Dreamless sleep, unfortunately. Before I'd woken up I'd dreamt of Dora-kissing, holding… I wished I could return to that dream _just_ for a little bit.

But waking up to the real thing was much better. And that's what I did.

She was staring at the ceiling, that adorable little wrinkle in her forehead again.

"What are you thinking about so hard?" I asked, smiling sleepily at her.

She turned to me and giggled.

"What?" I asked, suppressing a yawn.

"Your… hair!" she laughed.

I turned to look at the full length mirror at the other side of the room. Sure enough, my hair-which I had styled SO perfectly-was messy and flopping everywhere.

I sighed exaggeratedly and flopped down on the bed, shooting her a look out of the corner of my eye.

"Don't look like that! You look… cute." She said, smiling at me as she curled up next to me.

I grinned at her, "You're pretty cute too."

She was. Especially now. Her long, dark hair fanned over the pillows, slightly tangled. It bunched up on the one side of her head and she looked…

"Cute?" she said it with evident doubt in her voice.

"Yes. Cute. Adorable. Lovely. Sweet. Beautiful. Amazing."

She rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway.

We laid there for a few minutes, silently. I could faintly hear sounds from downstairs.

"I hope Derek doesn't come up." Dora said, sighing.

"Who cares? I'm tired of him acting like I'm some evil guy." It was true. I was pissed.

"It's not that… he… he knows that… it's hard to explain. It's a… werewolf thing." She said, frowning slightly.

"Well, werewolf thing or not, he's getting on my nerves." I said, staring at the door.

She sighed again, and snuggled into me.

"You smell good. Like flowers and oranges." I said, without thinking. The split second the last syllable slipped from my mouth, I froze. Maybe I shouldn't have let on how much I was thinking of her?

**DPOV (Dora's)**

I giggled slightly. That was such a Simon thing to say. And the look on his face… like he was terrified I was going to yell at him, or be angry.

"You smell good, too, Simon." I laughed. He smiled, relieved.

I don't know what it was, but I was suddenly very aware of the fact that I was right beside Simon. Wrapped in his arms. My lips were right by his neck… I could see his pulse.

Without thinking (or perhaps thinking too much), I leaned forward ever-so slowly and brushed my lips against that pulse.

Beat.

Softness, sweetness.

Beat.

Hands lifting my face.

Beat.

Dark eyes piercing into mine.

Beat.

Closer…

Beat.

Lips against mine, moving alongside.

Beat.

Hands tangling in my hair.

Beat.

Softly…

Beat.

Pulling me closer…

Beat.

Tongue dragging itself against my lip…

Beat.

Sweetness.

Beat.

Oh…

We could've laid there for years, and I wouldn't have noticed. This felt so _right_. I never wanted to move from his arms… never wanted to detach my mouth from his. But eventually that pesky, mundane issue of air caused us to separate.

My eyes met his and…

The way he looked at me. It made me feel like I never had before. I wanted to jump up and build a huge brick wall. That way nothing could ever stop us. I wanted to lose myself in his eyes and never find a way out.

Didn't make a whole lot of sense, but… eh well.

His eyes shone as he reached forward and brushed my hair away, out of my eyes.

"I love you, Dora."

I stared at him.

NO! He didn't just say that… I misheard. No. No. No. No. No. Denial!

"No…" maybe it was just a whisper, but he heard it. The change in his expression was heartbreaking.

I couldn't love him. I needed to concentrate on other things. I couldn't-

I couldn't breathe.

I stood and ran, out of the room.

Everything was in slow motion.

"Dora!"

"Dora?"

"Dora!?"

No. He couldn't love me. He was too… too perfect. Maybe I loved him. Alright, there was a 99% chance that I was completely and unavoidably in love with him. But I was going to deny it to myself. Because I _knew_ him.

He deserved a girl who could love him back, someone who could kiss him fully, without worrying that she might accidentally hurt him.

He deserved someone unscarred, someone…

"DORA!"

Oops. Apparently Derek and… everyone had seen me run out.

Derek grabbed me and spun me around. I saw myself reflected in his eyes and cursed myself out (mentally).

There were tears freely running down my cheeks, even now (how had I not noticed them?). I looked like a mess.

"What did he do?" he growled, his hands tightening on my shoulders. I struggled to shake my head, but it was too late.

"Dora?"

Simon.

Oh crap.

Before I could blink, Derek was charging at Simon.

"No!"

**=( cliffyyyyyyyyy. Yep. I made it mostly fluff. Just angsty at the end there. I'm going to start the next chapter as soon as I can.**

**This chapter inspired by:**

**Fireflies by Owl City (OMG I just heard this song for the first time today. 3 it!)**

**Odd One by Sick Puppies (YES)**

**That's What You Get by Paramore (Good for the angsty part)**

**Sweet Child O'Mine by Guns n Roses (The first line of this song is what I think was going through Simon's mind as he fell asleep)**

**Also: Bob The Builder. I kept on getting distracted by the TV so I turned this on and threw the remote so I couldn't find it. That kept me on track.**

**Review please 3**


	14. Chapter 14: Sorcerer's Strength

**This is a short chapter, and also one I'm not **_**too**_** thrilled with. I like it, but I just think that it's missing something. But eh. I'm having a bad day. My alarm didn't go off (or I once again turned it off in my sleep) so instead of getting up at 8:30 and having time to do my homework AND write, it went off at 11, so I have to rush through my homework. So this is shorter than I planned it.**

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed! Anyone have any ideas for chapter themes? I have most of the development ideas already, but I need to drag this out a little bit until the ending.**

**DISCLAIMER: I really, really wish I owned DP. Unfortunately I'm just not that awesome :'(**

**DPOV (Derek's)**

I was sitting there, listening idly as Chloe and Tori discussed things they'd read in the book. After that… _Necromancia Reparia_, nothing seemed nearly as interesting.

Suddenly I became intensely aware of something happening upstairs.

The slam of a door.

The running of feet.

"Dora!"

I stood and turned in one, fluid motion. Dora ran down the stairs, gasping. Her hair was messy and her eyes were red and overflowing with tears.

She turned and ran out the door.

I heard Simon running down the stairs, so I quickly followed Dora outside, ignoring the other yells.

"DORA!" I yelled in vain. She wasn't slowing down, not even for me.

I reached her quickly, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around.

She was sobbing, tears running down her cheeks like streams through a forest.

"What did he do?" I asked, gripping her shoulders tighter.

She started to shake her head, but I barely noticed. Because I could smell him, sense him, _hear_ him.

"Dora?"

Simon.

In a microscopic second I had turned and charged at him.

In that same second, I took everything in. Chloe, Tori, and dad standing by the back door, yelling something. Dora behind me, screaming no.

Simon in front of me. He'd hurt her. When I'd _specifically_ asked him not to.

I'd have to kill him.

**DPOV (Dora's)**

My screaming did absolutely nothing to dissuade Derek. So I did the only thing I could do.

I ran in front of him (when did I get faster then him?)

And I threw myself in front of Simon.

Here was my reasoning: Derek would see me, stop, and I would explain to him that this was _my_ fault, because I was an insane, stupid, dumb, idiotic, stupid, person.

Unfortunately I forgot to account for the fact that Derek is a huge, angry, WERWOLF.

There was pure terror in his eyes as he skidded on the ground, his arms pinwheeling. Under any other circumstance I would laugh.

But instead I just closed my eyes, my hands held out. It would be painful. Possibly life-threatening. But I'd rather die than let anything happen to Simon.

Wait, what? I'd die for him? Wait, what? Why am I not in pain?

I opened my eyes to see Derek smashed against an invisible barrier.

"What?" I said.

No, wait, the barrier wasn't invisible, it was… transparent. It had a slight yellow glow.

It was magic.

First I looked at Tori. But no, she was clutching Chloe's hand and the other hand was in a fist. She hadn't cast. Mr. Bae had one of his hands on Tori's shoulder, and the other one was still clutching the back door.

But Simon…

I turned slowly. Sure enough, Simon's hands were thrown out, much like mine had been. From his hands came a shining light, one that ballooned to a bubble that… surrounded me.

"Simon…"

His eyes opened, and I gasped. They were bright, a color gold too beautiful to be natural.

"Isadora…" his voice was warm, but unnatural.

I tore my eyes away from his to see Derek standing up, and his mouth open, yelling something… I couldn't hear.

He slammed his fist on the bubble, and I saw the burn it gave him. He examined it for perhaps a second, then turned to Mr. Bae, yelling something.

I turned back to Simon.

"Simon… you have to stop." I said, choking slightly on my words. I took a few hesitant steps towards him.

He was mouthing something, but stopped and looked at me.

"He was going to hurt you. I won't let _anyone_ hurt you." He said, his eyes growing brighter. That voice… it was Simons, but it had… something in it. Something horrible and terrifying.

Without even thinking I ran to him, and grabbed his head.

"SIMON! Stop it!" I yelled.

He blinked, and the gold faded into his eyes.

"Huh?" he said, shaking his head.

"Simon! You have to stop it!" I said, trying to stay calm. The bubble was becoming less transparent-I was having trouble seeing Derek, and I couldn't see the others at all. There was only one tiny gap, at Simons feet.

"I-I don't know how." He said, turning slightly to look at the bubble. It was huge, encompassing at least ten feet from the center in every direction. It was high too, way above our heads.

"How did you make it?" I asked, reaching out and pulling his head to face me.

"I don't know! I just saw Derek coming out you and I-I freaked. Something took over me. I-I think I can…" he turned suddenly, making me stumble back. He located the gap-tiny now, barely enough as he slid his finger through.

"Ah-It's no use! It won't move!" he yelled.

Suddenly I had an idea. I took a deep breath, and ran at it. Sure enough, it moved with me, tugging away and leaving Simon on the outside. I ran more, trying to get it to dissipate. But instead it just… clung to me.

I was aware of sounds, and the bubble was loosening.

"Please…" I said, closing my eyes against the tears. I regretted this. I should've let Mr. Bae to figure it out. I didn't know if Derek was still murderous against Simon…

Oh god…

**SPOV**

I didn't mean it. Oh god. Crap.

I could see her through the bubble-although from what I got from everyone else, I was the only one.

She turned around, frantic. I could see the terror in her eyes.

"DAD! Do something!" I yelled, sending him a frantic glance.

She fell to her knees, and I could make out tears spiraling down her cheeks. She looked so lost, so… alone.

I didn't think (what else was new, Mr. Tell-her-I-love-her. Idiot) as I ran to her.

I fell to my knees, holding my hands up and placing them on the bubbly-thing.

"Isadora…"

That was weird. It was Dora. And I hadn't really meant to say that-

"Release her." OK FREAKY WHAT!!!

I didn't know why I'd said that. It was me, but… it was like I was remembering a thought I'd had in a dream.

Sure enough the bubble released her, floating away and shrinking until I couldn't see it anymore.

"DORA! Are you ok!?" asked Derek, his voice _beyond_ worried.

"I-I'm fine." She said, reaching out as Tori helped her up.

"What language was… Simon what did you… I… You… Spell…" Dad stuttered and stammered, obviously at a lack for words.

"I don't know," I said honestly.

"Are _you_ okay, Simon?" asked Derek.

"Yeah." I said, happy that Derek at least _cared_ that I was okay. It was a nice feeling, and it made me-

"Good. Now I can kill you."

"What!" I said, stumbling backwards.

"Derek! Don't you think you're overreacting?" asked Dad, grabbing his arm.\

"No, dad, I really, really don't think I am. First, he makes my sister cry, even though I _specifically_ told him if he made her cry I would eviscerate him. Second, he traps her in this… weird bubble thing." Derek said, growling and advancing on me.

"He didn't make me cry! Well, he did, but not because of what you're thinking!" Dora said, pulling away from Tori to stand in front of Derek.

"Then why?" asked Derek, each word popping angrily.

"Because…" the rest of what she said she mumbled, looking at the ground.

Derek relaxed his posture and did the same thing.

This went back and forth several times, before Tori sighed exasperatedly and poked Dora.

"Can you either talk louder or move this inside. I'm starting to get cold." Tori shivered. It _was_ cold out-around 40 degrees last time I checked.

Derek looked up and grimaced.

"Yeah. Let's move inside."

**DPOV (Dora's)**

"Then why?" asked Derek angrily.

Oh. Oops. I _really_ didn't want to have everyone hear how I overreacted to someone saying they loved me.

So I said it, in as low a voice as possible, "He said he loved me"

"And that made you cry?" asked Derek in a similarly low voice. It comforted me to know that no one else could hear us.

"Yes. I just… didn't know how to respond. He deserves someone better than me, someone… someone who can love him back 100%."

"That's stupid. He loves you. He _doesn't_ deserve you, mainly because I think you deserve someone better, but that's just because my wolf-senses are going into hyper-protective older brother mode."

"You're sweet, Derek. But I'm not ready to be in a… relationship. We need to concentrate on taking down The Edison Group. We don't have time for me and Simon to… explore our feelings."

"I really don't want you and Simon _exploring_ anything."

I laughed softly.

"Can you either talk louder or move this inside. I'm starting to get cold!" Tori said, shivering. I looked up and caught Derek's eye. We were _not_ done with this-not until I got him to promise he wouldn't kill Simon.

"Yeah. Let's move inside." He sounded like this was some big sacrifice he was making.

I saw Simon looking hopeful as we started to walk inside, so I darted over to Derek and grabbed his arm.

"We aren't done talking." I whispered, squeezing his arm.

"Fine."

**Ta-da! There it is! What did you think? No, Simon isn't possessed or anything. I just hated that he never got any cool powers. Next chapter is "THE TALK" and some more fluff/angsty stuff.**

**Inspired by:**

**Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz**

**Odd One by Sick Puppies**

**My Chemical Romance (wow, I haven't listened to them in like four years. They helped with this chapter though)**

**My wonderful Sim family, who annoyed me enough to write instead of play. :D**

**Review please!**


	15. Chapter 15: Kissing & Interrupting

**Hello! I know I'm awful-I haven't updated in how long? Well this is a pretty long chapter with plenty of fluffy goodness. And I lied. I didn't feel like doing The Talk in this chapter, so it's in the next. & OMFG is it good and funny. **

**Um, so I don't really have much of an excuse. School is just soooo so busy. And then yesterday I was actually 100% ready to write, but I got some news. My BFF is dating this guy that I introduced her to (they met at my sleepover), which I should be REALLY happy about, but I'm a little jealous. And then my sister told me that my other BFF has been calling her neighbor-my crush. She's been calling him a LOT. **

**But she doesn't know I like him. Because, well… like, we went out to the mall, me and her. She got stopped FIVE FREAKING TIMES and people told her she should be a model. Like cashiers and stuff. Me? I have weight problems and my style icon is Bettie Page (JUUUST her style). Plus I'm sixteen and have never had anyone like me (well except for this creepy boy in middle school. He was creeppppy). SO I was in a bad mood.**

**BUTTT anyway, thanks to everyone that reviewed. 95 REVIEWS!!! :D!!! I am so happy! That means that there are actually people reading this!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own a lot of things. Giftcards. Books. Eleven porcelain dolls. A hippie nutcracker named Leo. But unfortunately, not DP.**

**DPOV (Dora's)**

Once we got inside, everyone kind of stood around in a circle. I snatched at Derek's arm, trying to pull him away. And failing miserably. I _really_ needed to work on getting stronger, or I was going to be pushed around by Derek for the rest of my life!

"I need to take a shower." He grunted, turning and moving away.

"Oh no you don't!" I said, jumping up on his back, locking my arms around his neck.

To my complete and utter humiliation, he kept on walking.

"We AREN'T done TALKING!" I yelled kicking the backs of his knees (once again, humiliatingly, that was where my feet fell. I was short).

"No, we aren't," Derek said, reaching backwards to detatch me from his neck, "But I need to shower first. Clear up my head. Before I kill Simon."

I saw Simon shift from foot to foot nervously, out of the corner of my eye.

"Yeah, that's a good idea!" Simon yelled, his nerves evident.

Derek shifted his gaze to Simon and let out a low, nearly silent, growl.

"Down boy!" I said, low enough so no one else could hear.

"Fine." I said, at a normal volume. "Go. Shower. But WE WILL TALK!"\

He grunted in response, turned, and walked away. I groaned, turning as well, and slamming myself down in one of the old armchairs in the front hall. A big cloud of dust rose up around me, causing me to cough and sneeze.

When the dust died down I could see Chloe's back-she was following Derek's much broader back up the stairs.

**DPOV (Derek's)**

I was feeling a little less murderous against Simon. I figured that if I took a shower-a long one-I might actually be able to talk to him.

"Derek." Chloe's voice invaded my subconscious as her lilting voice carried up the stairs.

"Yeah." I said, turning around.

She stood at the top of the stairs, playing slightly with her hair. She'd done that for a while now, twirling the hair between her fingers.

"Are you o-okay?" she stuttered the last part, looking up into my eyes. I knew they were probably burning brightly. My wolf instincts had been in control for way too long, and I was having trouble overriding them.

"I'm… fine." I gasped, turning and walking towards the bathroom.

"Cause you seemed kinda… I don't know… off. Down there. You just seemed a little… off." She said, walking quickly (practically running) to catch up to me.

I turned to her to say something to get her to leave, when I noticed something that made me stop and stare. She bit her lip, pulling in inside her mouth, before letting it slide out. Wet. Bitten. Red…

I pushed her up against the door, running my hands through her long blonde hair. She smelled _so_ sweet… so poignantly sweet-it was a smell that would stay with me till my dying breath. The wolf was winning me over. If it could get me her, then I would be more than happy to let it take over.

My lips slid over hers, reveling in her softness. Teasingly I drew my tongue over her lips, causing her to moan and arch into me.

_Mine_, I thought darkly. She was mine, all mine, and no one else could ever have her. I tangled one hand in her hair, my lips still on her, my other hand at the small of her back, pulling her into me.

My tongue slipped between her lips, and she responded quite happily, hooking one leg around me. Our tongues danced together, and I held her tightly to me. I was a drowning man, and she was the only thing keeping me alive.

I lifted her slightly up off the floor, and she wrapped her legs around my waist. She weighed so little, I hardly felt her.

"WHOA! MY EYES! MY POOR EYES! MY VIRGIN EYES THAT YOU ARE SCARRING!" yelled Tori, covering her (poor, virgin) eyes, and stepping backwards.

I growled, the sound low but low.

"D-Derek…" Chloe stuttered, squirming slightly in my grip.

Oh.

OK, yeah, I should probably let her down before she feels that.

I set her down quickly, turning and entering the bathroom quickly.

"Wh-what? Why-?" Chloe's voice came floating through the bathroom wall.

"I think he was a little… excited." Tori's voice told me she was surpressing laughter.

"What do you-Oh!" I could see Chloe's face in my mind, that gorgeous pinkish blush spreading over her cheeks.

I turned around, sighing. Cold shower for one, please.

**DPOV (Dora's) (starting from when Derek went upstairs)**

Tori turned and walked into the kitchen, mumbling something about stupid people who talked too low.

I stood and walked into the living room, trying to avoid Simon. So, of course, he followed me and sat down next to me on the couch.

Damn. I should've sat in an armchair.

"Dora… I think we should talk." Simon said.

Crap. He was _way_ too nice. It would've been easier if he'd started yelling at me. Of course, that would cause Derek to kill, him, so maybe that wasn't such a good idea.

"A-About what?" I asked. Apparently I was inheriting Chloe's stutter.

"You know about what. I said that I… you know. And you… you know." He said, blushing and looking away.

"Simon… what you said… I just… I… and then you… and I just… I don't… I can't… I need to…" this conversation was going no where fast.

I took a deep breath and looked up at him. That was a mistake. His eyes were big, and full of tears. His bottom lip was sticking out just a centimeter more, and I knew he would deny being near tears.

I bit my lip as I looked at him. As hard as it was to talk to him _normally_, it was even harder when he looked so… adorable.

As I was thinking this, a lone tear escaped from the corner of his eye. He swiped at it, blinking hard, but that just made more tears fall. I didn't think as I reached out and carefully touched his cheek, stopping the path of a stray tear.

Our eyes locked, and we both moved forward at the same time, meeting in the middle.

The last time we'd kissed, I'd been a little too… caught up in it, to really feel it. But now… everything was so much clearer.

His lips moved against mine, hard and soft and forceful and giving, all at the same time. His hand went to my waist, carefully tugging me towards him. I let myself be pulled to him, nearly falling on top of him.

His tongue darted out to touch my lip. It was questioning, as if he wanted to ask if he could ask. I laughed in the back of my throat, smiling into the kiss. He hesitated for a second, so I carefully opened my lips.

It was so… nice. Nice to just be feeling, not thinking. Feeling how he shifted slightly under me and moving along with him. Feeling the way his hands traced up and down my back, sending pleasant shivers of delight down my back.

Something in the back of my mind told me to _stop_, STOP NOW, but I shoved that thought away and threw myself back into kissing.

Again, something in the back of my mind sent out alarm bells as we shifted, him pushing back against me so I was laying back, supported by the armrest. Our hands were moving still, searching out… something. His fingers grazed the bit of skin between my pants and my shirt, and goosebumps erupted there. I broke away from the kiss, gasping for breath and arching off the couch.

Simon peppered kisses down my neck, stopping every once in a while to bite my neck softly. He kissed my collarbone, all the way down to my collar. He kissed the swell of my breasts, and I bit back a cry.

I reached down and lifted his face to mine again, capturing his lips with mine.

I heard Tori yelling something upstairs, but it wasn't a panicked yell, just an annoyed one. Still, Simon started to pull away.

I reached up, and pulled him back to me. Right now I was feeling _incredibly _protective. He was mine. It was easy, simple, and complete. I could shove the rational human side of me back for later. Right now, the wolf wanted to be in charge, and I wasn't in a mood to fight it.

A moan that I barely realized came from me sounded through the room as he kissed my neck again.

"Not you two too! I swear to GOD, every time I leave the room for five seconds, you people go at it like randy puppies!" It was Tori.

Simon pulled away and looked up at her.

"Oh. Hey Tori, hey Chloe," he said. I hadn't noticed Chloe. "Are you okay, Tori? We heard you yell."

He seemed kind of dazed, running his hand through his hair.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine. Nice to know that you at least paused slightly in your make-out session to see whether or not I was dying." Tori said sardonically.

"Yep." I said, turning my attention back to Simon. To my _intense_ displeasure, he was sitting back. Huh. We'd been laying on the couch, with him completely on top of me. I wished I'd had time to explore the implications of _that_.

Chloe was blushing bright red, and even Tori looked uncomfortable. That's when I realized that Simon's shirt was… um… well, torn. And my shirt was pulled up to just below my bra. Huh. How didn't I notice that?

"I'm going to go change." Said Simon, standing and leaving the room.

I ran after him, my human brain coming back and basically beating the wolf side into a bloody pulp.

What, what, what was I thinking? Oh, that's right. I WASN'T THINKING!!! How could I be so stupid to just let go with him. Even if he did smell and taste _so freaking good._

"Simon!" I said, grabbing him and turning him around.

"Yeah?" he asked, still looking dazed. I have to admit it sent a flash of pride through me to see that he was so out of it after kissing me.

"This…" I struggled getting it out. This went against every wolf instinct I had. This was going to hurt him. A lot.

"This can't happen again. I don't love you, Simon. We need to concentrate on other things."

I turned and walked away. I was doing what was right for him. What was right for me. For all of us.

Then why did lying hurt so much?

**There it is. What did you think?**

**Dedicated to:**

**Banana-Nut Muffin. Not the best kind of muffin, but still really good.**

**My mom, for making me clean my desk-causing me to feel like writing. Even though you'll never read this because you freaked out that one time I wrote a fanfic with that chapter title 'Oops, I seem to have lost my pants'. So…**

**No music **** except a little MCR. I seriously haven't listened to them for years, but now whenever I'm writing I need them.**

**Oh, and also Don McClean-Favorites & Rarities Disc1. 3 those songs. Anyway.**

**Review please :D**


	16. Chapter 16: The Talk

**Okay, here it is! I tried to make it funny, but I'm not sure it came out that way… :/**

**I read this awesome book: Nightlight. It's a parody of Twilight, and it's HILARIOUS. I read Twilight, and at the time I thought it was the best book of all time. Now I know better :P but this parody is seriously funny.**

**Uhm so I know this is a little far in advance but I won't be updating from the 26****th**** of May till probably after the 9****th**** of June. My mom is going in for a hip replacement on the 26****th****, and she won't be going back to work until the ninth. Soooo I'll be a little busy. Plus I'll be having finals and everything. But after the ninth I'm freeee to write all day **

**Thanks to all my wunderbar reviewers (that's wonderful in German. I think. I haven't taken it for two years :P)**

**DISCLAIMER: YES! I OWN IT! I OWN-*gets tackled by lawyers*… ook, according to them I have to say it… I don't own DP **

**DPOV (Dora's)**

I struggled against tears as I walked up the stairs. I didn't look back, but it was a moot point. I could _feel_ Simon standing there, watching me as I walked up the stairs.

Breathe in, out, in, out.

This was better for everyone. Well, at least for everyone _else_. I for one felt like I had just had a 200-pound cannon-ball through my chest. Ow.

But it was better. I mean, I came in out of nowhere and start messing things up for everyone. What would be best is if I left. But they needed me to stay and fight. So I'd be the best fighter I could be.

As I got to my bedroom door, I sighed and slid down the wall onto the floor. Every iota of my being was telling me to run downstairs and tell-no _show_- Simon exactly how I felt for him. Just the thought of showing him that…

OOK, time to think of something else. I sighed and went into my room. Uh-oh. Bad choice. Smells like Simon.

I darted out of there and into Tori's room. Ah. At least it didn't smell like him.

**SPOV**

I stood there, watching her as she walked up the stairs. Everything about her seemed to be designed for me. Her head, tilted down as she paused for a second at the top of the stairs.

Her hair fell into her eyes, and she brushed it away impatiently, moving again.

She was the most gorgeous girl in the world. Supermodels had nothing on her. Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks… the rest of them. She was beautiful. And she'd kissed me. And _boy_, was that a kiss. And then she'd told me she didn't love me.

It was easy for me to believe her. She was perfect-beautiful, smart, and kind. I was flawed in such now blatantly obvious ways.

But I'd seen her eyes when she said that to me. Emeralds staring into my eyes. I'd seen the flash of emotion-so quick I almost thought I imagined it. But I knew that I hadn't. Sadness, fear, and devastation flashed through her eyes. Something else too, but I couldn't identify it.

"Simon, are you okay?" came a voice. I looked. Tori, Chloe, and dad all stood next to each other.

"Fine." I said, proud that my voice was at least steady.

"Are you sure?" asked dad.

"Yes!" I said, perhaps a little snappily. I turned and paused at the staircase, debating on the likelihood that Dora was still in the hall.

I decided to take my chances and I ran up the hall and into the room I shared with Derek. Oh. _Shared_ with Derek? That didn't seem like such a good idea now…

I quickly changed into a pair of clean jeans and a t-shirt. I was just fixing my hair when Derek walked in. I turned around, not _really_ scared, but yeah, a little scared. He _is_ huge… and I _did_ make his sister cry…

He looked extra-big, wearing jeans and no shirt. His hair was messed up, but it wasn't silly-goofy-messed up like mine had been, but I-just-crushed-someone messed up.

"Look, Simon… I'm sorry I repeatedly tried to kill you. This whole 'sister' thing is really messing me up. The wolf in me is trying to get me to protect certain members of my pack-my sister, my mate, etc. But… you're my brother, and I need to get it through to the wolf part that I will _not_ hurt you. Unless you hurt Dora or Chloe. If you hurt either one of them then I _will_ kill you-but I won't make anymore assumptions." Derek said this all very quickly, and I took a second to catch up.

"I know that you wouldn't have hurt me-the human part of you always wins-and that is something I'm _very_ grateful for. We're brothers, and… yeah, it's awkward as hell having me and Dora… whatever. I mean, it's almost like me and her are… OKAY, time to talk about something else!" I said, seeing his eyes narrow as I mentioned how Dora and I are almost related.

"Yeah well… so, you told her you loved her?" he asked, pulling on a shirt.

"Yeah."

"Do you?"

"Yeah…" I mumbled low.

He sighed, a sharp snappish sound, "Then why did she freak out?" 

"Because _she _doesn't love _me_. She thinks that we should focus on training and fighting." I said sadly.

To my intense surprise, Derek laughed.

"Please. She's just being hardheaded. She thinks you deserve someone better. Which is stupid. _She_ deserves… um, well…someone who can love her, like… you." Derek's words faded off at the end, prompting me to give him a grin. That last 'you' had been nearly silent.

Derek cocked his head to one side.

"I think Dora wants to come and talk to me, but she's worried that she'll run into you."

"How do you know?"

"She's telling Tori."

I sighed, running my hand through my hair. I wanted to believe what Derek had said, but… I couldn't. It made more sense-in my mind-for her to not love me. She was perfect, and me… my flaws had never been more apparent.

**DPOV (Dora's)**

I sat on Tori's bed, watching her as she walked around the room. She was muttering something about needing new clothes as she emptied the drawers.

"Here, you can wear this. It'll go good with your skin tone. About that-have you heard of tanning?" she asked, tossing me clothes and grabbing her makeup bag.

"Yes, and no I won't put any makeup on." I said, pulling off my shirt. Tori just rolled her eyes and turned back around.

I was just shedding my-Tori's-jeans, when a knock at the door startled me.

"Everyone decent?" came Simon's voice, _as_ he opened up the door.

"I-we-uh-NO!" I yelled, but it was too late. Simon stared at me as I stood there in my underwear, clutching a sweatshirt to my chest.

He just stared at me. It sounds creepy (and it was a little bit creepy), but he looked at me like I was some sort of work of art.

"SIMON!" Tori screeched, throwing her makeup bag at him. He just stared at me… until it hit him square in the face.

"TORI!" he yelled, picking it up and holding it threateningly.

"Just put the makeup down, and I won't have to fry you!" Tori retaliated, holding up a hand that crackled with blue sparks.

He carefully tossed it so it hit the bed.

"Um, Dora, um, Derek… um, he, um, wanted me to… um, tell you he's ready to, um, talk." Simon said, blushing brightly and pointedly averting his eyes as he chattered. When he was done he basically ran away, slamming the door behind him.

Tori fell on the ground she was laughing so hard.

"That… was… the FUNNIEST (hahahahah) thing I've ever… seen!" she gasped, laughing.

"Yeah. Ha-ha, real funny." I said, scowling and pulling on the jeans she'd leant me. They were a little big on me, but I'd tried on Chloe's, and they were _way_ too small!

"It _was_!" Tori said indignantly, standing and brushing a piece of fuzz off of her sweater.

I had to give it to Tori, she knew how to dress. The long dark green sweater she was wearing made her look like a supermodel. And the red sweatshirt she gave me _did_ make me look healthier.

"I'm going to go talk to Derek." I said, running a brush quickly though my hair.

"CAN I COME?" Tori asked excitedly, grabbing my arm, obviously excited about listening in on the 'drama' as she had so called it when she came in earlier.

"I don't think that's a good idea." I said dryly, giving her a small smile.

I quickly exited the room, looking around to make sure there was no one out there. I could hear voices below, and if I strained just a bit I could make out Chloe, and Mr. Bae.

I knocked on Derek's door, my heart thudding quickly.

"Come in." his voice was nearly inaudible.

I entered quickly, and sat down on the bed opposite him. I was holding my breath, waiting for him to speak.

"Hi." He said, giving me a slight smile. I grinned at him, taking a deep breath and preparing to talk. Ooh. This must be Simon's bed. It smelled like him. It smelled nice.

"So… I need to talk to you about Simon," Derek began, but I cut him off.

"NO-I need to talk to you about Simon! I can't have you trying to kill him just because-" he cut me off.

"Let me talk, Dora. I… promise… I won't try and kill Simon. Unless he hurts you or Chloe. Then I'll kill him, but only then." He gave me what I assumed was supposed to be a comforting smile. It was more predatory.

"What about if he hurts Tori?" I asked-no real reason, just wondering.

"If he hurts Tori… I'll give him a medal!" he laughed. I just scowled and threw Simon's pillow at him.

"Ow!" he said, still laughing.

"Shut up." I said, starting to laugh myself.

His expression sobered after a few minutes of stifled laughter.

"But really… you know that I think that you shouldn't be with or around him, but exactly _why_ did you freak out when he said he loved you?"

I twisted my hands in my lap as he spoke, only stopping when he did. I looked up, struggling to read his expressionless face.

"Well, first-why don't you even want me around him?"

"Because he looks at you like… like he never wants to look away. And I'm still just not comfortable with the two of you being… anything but vague acquaintances." Derek looked uncomfortable, squirming slightly.

"Okay. As for the next part… I freaked out because I love him too. But I can't tell him that, not knowing that I can't love him completely. I'll always be unable to kiss him fully. I could _kill_ him. Well, not now, now I'd be shocked if I could stomp on an ant. But I need to get stronger. I need to concentrate on fighting the Edison Group. I can't focus on romance when people's lives are in the balance." I bit my lip, looking down again.

"Good point. Do you think I should do the same with Chloe?" asked Derek.

"NO! That's… different."

"How?" the look he gave me was questioning, probing.

"You two are mates."

"And you and Simon aren't?"

The question hung in the air between us. Was Simon my mate? I didn't know… it was too confusing and messy.

He sat there, staring at me. How could I answer that? The truth was no better than saying nothing. Lying was so much simpler, so much neater… I hated not knowing.

"I don't know."

"Do you want him to be?"

"I… don't know."

"You love him?"

"Yes."

That one I knew. I loved Simon. That was more messy than not knowing, but it was something I was going to have to deal with.

Derek sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"Okay… then I need to talk to you about something." He said this with a kind of resigned melancholy.

"I thought that's what we were doing? Talking?"

"A… different talk than the one I was planning on having with you. Okay… so, if you and Simon decide that you love each other and you're going to..."

Oh no. I could see where this was going.

"No, Derek! NO! Not 'The Talk'!" I shrieked.

"YES, 'The Talk'! I highly doubt any of the nurses or doctors at the Edison Group had this talk with you!" Derek looked uncomfortable, but there was no doubt in my mind that he was committed to going through with this.

"Derek, I really, really, don't want to have this talk with you. Can't you get Mr. Bae to do it?" I said, blushing brightly.

"Just, use protection. And… um, use protection like… birth control pills, and…" he drifted off, averting his eyes from me.

"OH-and condoms! Um… and… um… beware of STDs. Although you don't have to worry about Simon. Um…" he was bright red as he tried to think.

"Derek." I said, my eyes squeezed shut, "Please. Don't do this."

"I am going to make sure you're safe!"

I flopped stomach-down on the bed, burying my head in my hands. This was embarrassing. This was _humiliating! _

"And… damn, al those years of Health class and all I can remember is condoms!" he muttered to himself.

"Um… respect him? That sounded better when they were talking about guys respected girls…" he was still muttering, obviously forgetting that I could hear him, what with my werewolf senses, "Um, what else… they usually handed out condoms at the end. I could ask dad, although that would be _beyond_ humiliating. And also if I did that I'd definitely kill Simon…"

"DEREK!" I yelled into my hands.

"OH-Dora. Yeah, um… let me go get my dad for a second…" he stood, but I was faster.

"NO CONDOMS DEREK!" I yelled, pointing my finger at him.

"You think I want to give you condoms? It's somehow become my responsibility to make sure that I'm not an… uncle. Oh god, I seriously may have to kill Simon." He clenched and relaxed his fist, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I don't care! NO CONDOMS! NO TALK! I-I-We aren't going to do anything! So just… NO CONDOMS!" I yelled, turning and running out of the room.

And right into everyone.

Chloe was bright, bright red; Tori was (literally) on the ground shaking with laughter, and Simon was looking scared, stunned, and slightly weirded out.

"Condoms?" asked Tori, before descending back into laughter.

**Ta-da!**

**So how was 'The Talk'. I was writing it out when I realized that Dora really **_**wouldn't**_** have gotten any talk from the nurses. So it was big-brother Derek to the rescue.**

**What do you think? Too OOC? I think I did Tori pretty well, I think I'm going to have to do her POV soon…**

**So ideas? Suggestions? Etcetera?**

**REVIEW ((((please))))**


	17. Chapter 17: Eavesdropping and Regret

**Here's the next part! This is a fairly short chapter, but the last chapter was the LONGEST EVERRR! And chapter 18 should be up soon. I am having SO much fun writing this!**

**The next chapter will be Chlerek fluff, and some serious discussion stuff. I know I've said that this will be like 20 chapters, but I'm thinking it'll be more around 25-ish. And I already know what the sequel's going to be about, and the name… :D I'm so excited.**

**IMPORTANT QUESTION: What happens when it makes me remove a document because I've reached the 15 document limit? Does the chapter disappear? This is the first story I've really gotten into, so this has never happened to me before…**

**Oh and OVER 100 REVIEWS! XD OMG I am so happy! :D**

**SHOUTOUTS:**

**kenhat: I'm glad you liked it! And your wish is my command-Tori's POV is below! **

**Anastasia815: **** thanks for the review! The chapter after **_**this**_** one is going to be super Chlerek! And I'm going to actually try and finish this **_**before**_** I stop updating, and start the sequel.**

**And also thanks to: SpencerReidFan89, jokersxdaughter, UltimateFreedom, Shelbs13, & Adrie179! You guys are all AWESOME! :D seriously, when I get the email that says I have a review, I get SOOO happy! Even if it just says 'okay chapter.'! Even though I don't think I've ever gotten one that says that… :D**

**DISCLAIMER: *surrounded by men in suits* these lawyers say I have to say… *reads from paper* I do not own DP.**

**TPOV**

After Dora left, my room became very boring. Luckily for me, when I left my room I came upon Simon standing across the hall from his room, straining against… something.

"What's wrong Simon, you look a little constipated?" I said, giving him an acerbic smile. A lot of people would've assumed that I was still pining over him or something, but I wasn't. I SOOOO wasn't! I just… my mom was dead, and my father was… whatever. I needed _someone_ to remember me if I died. Better they remember me as a bitch than not at all.

"Ha-ha, very funny Tori. I'm trying to listen in on Derek and Dora." He said, straining again.

"Most people stand somewhere close to the door, Simon." I said, rolling my eyes and taking a step towards the door.

His hand flailed out, pushing me backwards so I was beside him.

"What the hell Simon!" I said, brushing off my sweater.

"Derek. Dora. WEREWOLVES? They'll hear us if we get any closer!" he hissed. We stood there for a few minutes,

"NO! That's…" we didn't hear the last part, but that was obviously Dora.

Minute or so of silence.

"Hey guys, what are you doing?" Chloe stood at the top of the stairs, frowning at us.

"SHHH! We're trying to eavesdrop on Derek and Dora!" Simon hissed, beckoning to her.

"And DON'T give us any of that 'it's private' crap, Chloe. You know you want to know too!" I said, giving her a slight glare. She shrunk away from me, moving to stand on Simon's other side.

I sighed. That glare was _nothing_ compared to what I'd given her before. Why was it always poor little Chloe and mean old Tori?

Admittedly I'd been a little unfair to her before. Like when she'd summoned that dead guy when we were on the run. But HELL-O! DEAD GUY! I wasn't exactly thinking clearly. And I hadn't known the extent of everything they'd been doing to us, so I wasn't exactly prepared to be fair to her, okay?

"No, Derek! NO! Not the talk!"

That was Dora, and she sounded unhappy.

"The talk? What does she… you don't think he's going to…" Chloe said, her eyes growing wide.

"Nah. It's probably a different talk. Derek can't even think of her being with someone else. Let alone give her THE TALK." Simon said, laughing lightly. He smiled for a moment, but then his expression returned into its previously depressing frown.

I would seriously have to talk to Dora about that. I mean, she was my friend… my best friend… but if she kept up with hurting Simon… I may have to shove her into something. Soon, too, before she gets all werewolf-y, and can, y'know, crush me.

"I am going to make sure you're safe!" Derek's voice rang out.

"Safe… how?" wondered Chloe, blushing slightly.

"He can't be giving her the talk. He probably means her staying away from me." Simon said.

Another minute of silence.

"DEREK!" this was muffled, like she was yelling it through a pillow.

"NO CONDOMS DEREK!" we all froze.

"You think I want to give you condoms? It's somehow… responsibility… an uncle!"

Chloe went in full-on tomato mode, Simon was frozen, and I was bent over trying not to laugh.

"I don't care! NO CONDOMS! NO TALK! I-I-We aren't going to do anything! So just… NO CONDOMS!"

I fell on the ground, shaking with laughter.

Just then, the door burst open and Dora came out, skidding to a stop in front of us. I couldn't stop laughing, _tears_ were running down my face.

"Condoms?" I choked out, before bursting into laughter again.

Dora pressed her lips together, shot Simon a look, and ran into her room. Crap. She looked like she was about to cry. Crap, crap, crap, crap crap.

I got up, shoving Simon to the side as I ran after her.

I knocked on the door and called to her, "Dora?"

"Go AWAY!" she sounded like she was crying.

I tried the knob. She'd locked it.

"Dora, let me in? Please?" I tried throwing my weight against the door, but I bounced off.

"Tori… leave her alone…" said Chloe. I looked back over my shoulder. She was hovering in the doorway to Derek's room, her lower lip puffing out just slightly.

God. It would be so much easier if she wasn't always so damn RIGHT.

I turned and walked away, storming into my room. I heard Chloe enter Derek's room and her high-pitched giggle before the door swung shut.

And then I heard something I wasn't expected.

"Dora?"

It was Simon.

And then he said something I couldn't decipher through _my_ closed door. And I heard the sound of a lock clicking open.

**DPOV (Dora's)**

After I went into my room, I threw myself on my bed. It smelled like Simon. I didn't care. That had been _humiliating_!

"Dora?" Tori knocked on my door.

"Go AWAY!" huh. I was crying. I sat up and reached up and touched the tear drying on my cheek.

"Dora, let me in? Please?" Tori's voice, and then the sound of something being bumped against the door.

There was some low murmuring, a faint giggle, and the sound of two doors being closed. I flopped back on my bed, letting out a long sigh.

I knew Derek had meant well. I would go and apologize to him later. I would _also _stress the fact that NOTHING was going to happen between Simon and me.

"Dora?" Speak of the handsome devil.

There was something else, something in a weird language.

And then the door opened, and Simon slipped inside, closing it behind him.

"Simon? What are you doing in here? How did you open the door?" I said, sitting up and sniffing, wiping my eyes.

"A spell. Nothing major, just a simple unlocking incantation. I'm here because…" he sat down on the bed, laying down and pulling me down with him, his arm around my back.

"Simon… I thought I was clear earlier…" I _really_ didn't want to have this conversation again.

"Yeah. You said you didn't love me. I'm just in denial. And anyway, you really seemed like you could use a little comforting." He said, pulling me slightly closer.

I started to open my mouth to fight, but decided against it.

"Fine. But I _don't_ love you. And we aren't going to _do_ anything." I said, closing my eyes.

"Sure…" he said, in a voice that made me think that he _didn't_ believe me.

We laid there for a while, just… I don't know. Relaxing. Breathing.

"So… condoms?" Simon asked.

I started laughing, and rolled over onto my side, so I could look at him.

"Shut up. That was HUMILIATING!" I said, blushing, but still laughing slightly.

He smiled and reached up to push a piece of hair out of my eyes.

"It was hilarious." He said in a gentle voice-but grinning so big I was surprised his jaw didn't break.

"It was NOT!" I shrieked, shoving him almost off the bed.

"Uh-huh!" he yelled back, shoving into me too.

"Oh really? Well, then… I guess I'll just tell Derek that I _really_ think that YOU think to have 'The Talk' with him!" I said triumphantly.

"Oh no you won't!" he yelled, grabbing me and holding me down.

"Oh yes I will! And I'll make _sure _he gives you condoms!" He was straddling me now, holding me down as I struggled against him.

"No you will not! No condoms!" he was laughing so hard I was surprised he didn't fall off the bed.

"YES! CONDOMS!" I yelled in his face.

Suddenly he stopped laughing, and leaned down so that we were less than a centimeter apart.

"Why would I need condoms if we aren't going to do anything?"

Uh-oh

"Um."

He leaned down, letting his lower lip _just_ _barely_ touch my lip, before pulling back. Instinctively, I leaned upwards, struggling to continue the (way too little) contact.

He smiled at me, a rueful, slightly sad, smile.

"I couldn't stand it if you regretted it again."

With that, he stood up and walked across the room.

I propped myself up on my elbows.

"I didn't… I didn't regret any of it. I just… I can't, in good conscious… I just… I never regretted anything, Simon."

He was still facing away from me, leaning on the wall.

"At least I have that."

And he left.

**I wasn't planning on ending it here, because I think it's WAY too short, but that just seemed like the PERFECT time to end it. But the next chapter should be up very shortly. Like today.**

**I was writing this when I was like 'I'm really making Simon be spineless. I mean, am I going to let Dora just walk all over him like that?', so I made him walk away. He's not like abandoning his pursuit of her, he's just trying to play hard to get.**

**Sooo… I dedicate this chapter to:**

**~My reviewers, who are so so so awesome!**

**~Various music, seriously like twenty different songs, I can't even list them all here.**

**~my bio teacher, for giving me a lot of homework, causing me to procrastinate by writing this!**

**Review please! :D**


	18. Chapter 18: Carried Away

**I think I deserve the award for weirdest reason to write. The toilet overflowed and it put me in a bad mood. So I decided I'd write. Don't worry, this is still an incredibly fluffy chapter. There's like a three page description of Chloe and Derek kissing.**

**By the way, how am I doing with the kissing scenes? I don't have a lot, or any, experience with that type of stuff, but I've read a lot of fics on here with descriptions of kissing, so I write from what I've learned from that.**

**Also, I'm working on a one-shot that will be TOTALLY unrelated to this, but it's been swimming around my head for almost a month and if I don't get it out it WILL KILL ME! ;)**

**Shoutouts:**

**kenhat: I'm glad you liked that :D and yeah, I'm not too used to writing Chloe/Derek. I'm better at writing Simon/Dora.**

**OHHH and, I just want to give a SPECIAL shoutout to a reviewer that also writes really awesome stories that I love. Anastasia815-you rock! Hahah, see, no one was expecting that, were you?**

**DISCLAIMER: You see that name up there, beside the little profile picture? Does that say 'Kelley Armstrong'? No? It says MorbidMandy? Oh. Then I guess I DON'T own DP. **

**CPOV**

"Tori… leave her alone…" Tori sent me a glare, but turned and stalked away into her room. I turned slightly, to look in at Derek.

He sat on his bed, his head in his hands. Every once in a while he'd let out a low murmur that sounded suspiciously like 'condoms'.

I giggled, a breezy sound that apparently carried right to his ears, because he quickly straightened up.

I stepped into his room, shutting the door behind me.

"So… 'The Talk', Derek? Really?" I laughed, walking over and sitting beside him on his bed.

"She said… and her and Simon… I'm _way_ too young to be an uncle, okay? And anyway… if he ever…" he muttered something before saying in a _slightly _louder voice, "I'd have to kill him. And that would be… unpleasant."

I laughed again, the way he said 'unpleasant', like he was at war between thinking it _wouldn't_ be unpleasant, and between thinking it definitely would.

"So… are you going to give Simon and Tori 'The Talk' too?"

He gave me a look that said it was obvious he thought I was insane.

"After that? You'll be lucky if I ever talk to ANY of them again." He grumbled, turning away from me.

"Come on Derek…" I reached out, trying to make him turn around.

He was unmoved. Big surprise…

I acted on instinct, remembering all of the (very many) times when I'd resisted him, when I'd been too afraid that he'd react the wrong way.

I leaned over and kissed the back of his neck. He stiffened, then turned and gave me a look…

It wasn't an angry look, but it wasn't exactly happy either. It was a predatory look, one that gave me goosebumps and made me flush-not from embarrassment but from excitement.

He pushed me back on the bed, first kissing my cheeks, then my jawline, my chin, my nose… tantalizingly close to my mouth.

"Derek…" I moaned, arching slightly into him, seeking him out with my mouth.

At last his lips touched mine, and it was like striking a match-instant fire. I grasped at him, my eyes half-shut. His hands traveled up and down my body, skimming my stomach, down my legs…

I laid on the bed, and his body rubbed against me. My hands roamed as well, tugging at his shirt, trying (in vain) to pull it over his arms and head. There were way too many clothes.

We broke away for a moment as he removed his shirt, and then we were fused again, our lips locked as I traced the contours of his chest.

I felt like a mapmaker-learning the hills and valleys of his chest, the muscles that flexed as I touched him.

He was on top of me, holding himself up with his forearms, his hands tangled in the bedclothes. I'm sure if anyone looked in, they wouldn't see me-maybe a flash of blonde hair, or a leg wrapping around his waist…

I was just doing that-wrapping my legs around his waist, when he pulled away. I would've complained, but then I realized that I was about five seconds away from total oxygen deprivation.

"You're beautiful, you know that? You're so beautiful, and small, and delicate. I'm always so afraid I'm going to hurt you…" Derek murmured as his trailed kisses down my collarbone.

"You'll never hurt me, Derek. When I'm around you… I know I'm safe. I might be small and delicate and-"

"So breakable…"

"BUT, you're big, and strong, and I _know_ you'll protect me!" I bit back a yell as he bit my chest slightly.

"I'd die for you Chloe. I _live_ for you." He brought his head up to look me in the eyes. I stared at him for a long moment, committing this moment to memory. He looked at me like I was a priceless artifact, like I was all he ever needed to be happy. God knows he was all I needed.

"Derek… I love you." I murmured, kissing him-a slow kiss, not fiery, but filled with love.

His hands ran down my arms, making me shiver and realize that there was still one barricade.

I tugged my shirt up, but he caught my wrists, and held them above my head as he kissed me senseless.

"You're mine…" he growled, switching so that one of his hands was holding _both_ of my wrists, and he brought his other hand down to pull my shirt up and, then, off.

I laid there, suddenly very self-concious. I knew I wasn't much to look at-I'd spent hours at the mall with Kari and Beth, realizing that despite their protests, no personality and a C cup beat out being the most interesting person in the world.

"Beautiful." He murmured, his eyes traveling down my body. "Mine."

He kissed my lips, my jaw, my neck, my collarbone, my ribcage…

I blushed slightly when I realized that I was still in the blue bra that Tori had bought me ("I can't believe they _make _bra's that size!"). It had a little red rose on it. I would've felt a lot better if I was wearing red lace, something meant for seduction.

He laughed, a low, throaty chuckle, as he noticed the flush spreading down my body.

At last he got to the waistband of my jeans.

He looked up at me, a questioning look on his face.

I nodded, then pulled him up for a kiss. I was _beyond_ nervous, but it was like even if my mind didn't know what to do, my body did. My fingers fumbled at his zipper, tugging it down before realizing I forgot to undo the button. I busied myself with that as he kissed me, tongue probing my mouth.

At last both the zipper and the button were open, and I tried to tug them down his legs, but it wasn't working.

He moaned, pulling away from me to discard his jeans. He laid down beside me, wearing just his boxers. Without thinking I straddled him, kissing him again.

Now it was _his_ turn to fumble at the zipper of my jeans. At last he got _so_ frustrated that he broke the zipper.

"Derek-!" I shrieked, giggling as he flipped me over, pulling my jeans off. His mouth was on mine, and something in me stopped thinking, just feeling the sensations as he touched me.

Kiss.

Hot.

Warm.

Wet.

Shiver.

Goosebumps.

Touching my stomach, inching higher as he tentatively touched the bottom of my bra. I tried to make him realize I WANTED THIS!

He cupped me in his hand, and the sensation-even through my bra-was enough to make me dissolve into nothingness.

"Chloe… do you…" he panted in between kisses.

"Derek… YES!" I gasped as he bit down on my neck. I saw stars.

"Derek!" I cried as he continued biting down my neck. His hand molded me, making me moan even louder.

"Derek!" I-wait a second, that wasn't me. Also that was a guys voice.

"Chloe!" and that was a laughing girls voice.

"And you said _I_ needed condoms?"

I looked up, hazy, to see Kit, Tori, Simon, and Dora all standing in the room, smiling. Except for Kit. He kind of looked ready to burst. He was bright red, and there was a _very_ prominent vein on his forehead.

"I-uh-we-you-I-uh…" Derek was, for once, at a total loss for words, "Can you please leave?"

That's when I felt something very, um, _prominent_, against my leg. Don't get me wrong, I was excited too. If they hadn't come in, I wouldn't have hesitated to go all the way. Which surprised me.

I mean, I never thought outright that I'd wait for marriage, but I didn't think I'd sleep with a guy I was only dating. I always thought at _least_ fiancé. But we _did_ love each other. And if I asked Derek for a ring, he'd… he'd climb to the top of Mount Fuji to get me the ring I wanted.

"Derek… I think that you should probably get off of Chloe." Kit spoke through clenched teeth.

Derek moved slightly, then seemed to realize his _situation_, and he tried to slide off of me sideways, so he would end up still on the bed.

However _sliding_ didn't help anything.

At last I just very quickly, pushed him up, slid out, and pushed him back down.

I fumbled, pulling a sheet up to cover me, and trying to locate my pants.

"Looking for these?" Tori held up my jeans, smirking.

I reached over and snatched them from her, glaring at Simon until Kit turned a brighter shade of red and pulled him out of the room.

I started to pull on my pants, when I realized that the front of them was unbelievably shredded.

"Whoa, wolf-boy couldn't wait, could he? Guess you were about to make him a wolf-MAN!" Tori giggled.

"Tori!" Dora shrieked, bumping into her and giggling too. I swear, I will never understand how the two of them are such good friends.

I wrapped the sheet around me, and tried to march out to my room with some dignity. I glanced back and Derek and saw that he was still laying on the bed, face-down.

**DPOV (Dora's)**

I was just leaving my room, thinking idly of Simon and how he'd left, when I came upon Tori and Simon running up the stairs, Mr. Bae close behind them.

"What's the rush?" I asked, smiling blandly at them. I just wanted to get out and run a little bit.

"I almost forgot to tell you!" Tori shrieked, grabbing my arms, "We found out what happened with the creepy body! It's-well, Chloe should probably be here. I don't really have much experience with ghosts or dead things…"

"Last I saw of her, she was going into Derek's room." Simon said, shifting a book from one arm to another.

"I'll get her!" said Tori. Mr. Bae smiled lightly at me as we walked over to Derek's room.

"Chloe?" Tori called lightly, opening the door.

Derek was in his boxers, on TOP of Chloe, who-from what I could tell-was in her underwear.

"Derek!" she cried, moving under him.

"Derek!" Mr. Bae yelled, turning bright red.

"Chloe!" Tori laughed, winking at the huddled figures on the bed.

"And you said _I_ needed condoms?" I laughed. I could care less about what they were doing, but _seriously_? He was going to do this after giving me 'The Talk'. He was _such_ a hypocrite!

Chloe looked up, her eyes half-lidded.

"I-uh-we-you-I-uh…" Derek stumbled over his words, before finally getting out a sentance, "Can you please leave?"

Chloe turned an even _brighter_ shade of red (maybe her supernatural power is the power to always blush), and she shifted slightly on the bed.

"Derek… I think that you should probably get off of Chloe." Mr. Bae spoke through clenched teeth.

Derek moved a bit on the bed, trying to slide off Chloe, then stopping.

Chloe pushed him up, scooted out from under him, and shoved him back down into the mattress.

She pulled the sheet up around her and looked around helplessly.

"Looking for these?" Tori held up Chloe's jeans, smirking.

Chloe reached up and grabbed her pants, before glaring at Simon so hard that Mr. Bae dragged him out of the room.

Chloe tried to put on her jeans, but the front was _shredded_. Oh well-I'd never had much patience for zippers either.

"Whoa, wolf-boy couldn't wait, could he? Guess you were about to make him a wolf-MAN!" Tori giggled.

"Tori!" I shrieked, bumping my hip into hers. Tori definitely had a gift for teasing.

Chloe just pulled the sheet around her and practically ran to her room.

"I think we should leave Derek alone…" I said, grabbing Tori's arm and pulling her out of the room.

I made sure to shut the door after we left. They were mates-they shouldn't feel embarrassed about their natural urges. But, as I was starting to learn, things that seemed natural to me, weren't always natural to others.

"So… can you tell me what you found out?" I asked Tori.

She glanced towards Chloe's room.

"C'mon. If Chloe thinks she can sulk all day, she's in for a rude awakening!"

We entered to find Chloe clothed, laying on her bed.

"What are you-" she started, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at us.

"Calm down, we're just in here so you can supplement what we already have to tell Dora." Tori said, pulling me down to sit beside her on Chloe's bed.

"SIMON!" Tori shrieked, and Simon came rushing in, scowling at her and shoving the book into her hands.

He sat down too, on the floor in front of us.

"This is who you are."

**Once again, I was SO ready to make this longer, but it ended SO perfectly here!**

**The next chapter is going to have a time-skip thing. Like 'the next few weeks were…'. I need to give them time to train, but I can't write out that many details. There's still a few chapters to go, and then I can't wait to start the sequel.**

**Um, ok, also, if anyone needs any help with, like, story ideas, or titles, or needs help with a story, I'm ready to help! I have like twenty different story ideas swimming around in my head, at least a hundred different titles, and I love to help!**

**Alright, that's all.**

**Review please ;D**


	19. Chapter 19: Overwhelmed

**Okay, so this ended up being a lot more ACTIONY than I planned it. It just… ended up this way. Also it's insanely long. To make up for the fact that I won't be able to update until (probably) next week.**

**OHHHH and I have a one-shot up! It's called Belonging and it's a Tori-centric fic. I'm still working on my other one-shot about Chloe & Derek. No name for that one, though.**

**Thanks to all my reviewers! You guys are as awesome as… 7up! ((P.S. I couldn't think of anything as awesome as you guys, then I looked across the street and saw a 7up truck, immediately got a craving, and… the rest is history!)**

**DISCLAIMER: Do you really think anything has changed since last time? I still don't own it! **

**DPOV (Dora's)**

"We found ancient texts that mention a rare power-_Necromancia Reparia_. You can read about that in a second. But basically, you have some very weak powers, but you can't really control spirits. You can talk to them, and 'convene', whatever that means," Tori rolled her eyes and used air quotes, "You CAN, however, banish them or whatever, when you're really mad."

"That's what we found first. We were trying to figure out why you had it. Then we read _why _it was so rare-every time they tried to breed Necromancer with any other supernatural race, they would end up with a watered-down necro. But the Edison Group probably skipped the breeding and went straight to splicing your DNA with Necromancer genes." Chloe said, and then she looked at Tori and nodded.

"We _also_ looked up other parts of the legend. All of the ancient legends say that people with _Necromancia Reparia_ acted as adapters or conduits to Necromancers. They took some of their power and… bled it out, letting the Necromancer work with their modified powers." Tori nodded at Chloe, who pulled out a small, worn book from her pocket.

"This is a book called _Olde Necromancia Trickes and Magicks_. At first we thought it was a load of crap-but a lot of what it says is true. It says that people with… that power… can also go into trances-not like see-the-future trances, but... well… here." Chloe handed me the book, pointing to a passage.

_Necromancia Reparia_

_Ah, for those with the power of the Necromancia Reparia are moste lucky. For they can entre into the trance of aural powers, seeing what is from another realm. They are walking and truly convening into the world of the ghostes. They look through the veil and alast, they can see all who have ever entered or left the world. They see which ghostes see, and the magick that they can see is moste powerfull._

"What does that mean?" I asked Chloe, frowning at it.

"Well," interrupted Tori, "From what we can tell, you should be able to enter a trance and walk with the ghosts-seeing what they can see. We couldn't find any other mentions of it… but there's only like three books with information on it anyway."

We sat there for a long moment as I studied the text again. Seeing what ghosts see…

"You aren't asking her to actually try this, are you?" Simon asked, looking at Chloe and Tori.

"W-Well… we though s-she m-m-m-" Chloe stuttered, but Tori interrupted her.

"Yes. If she can do that… who knows how she can help us in battles!" Tori exclaimed.

"I thought the plan was to train her as a _werewolf_? Derek should be in here, he wouldn't let this happen!" Simon said, glancing around as if Derek would suddenly appear.

"This isn't Derek's choice-or yours! It's Dora's! And anyway, shouldn't we at least try?" Tori exclaimed, practically glaring Simon into the floor.

"I just don't think that-" Simon began.

"WAIT!" I yelled, holding my hands up, "This is _my_ choice! Not Tori's, not Chloe's, and NOT yours, Simon!"

The room was silent for a few long moments.

"I want to try it."

Simon leapt to his feet, but I was faster than he was, standing up too, and shoving him down again.

"MY choice, Simon. Mine. And I want to try this. I've lived in the dark for too long. I want to know what-_who_ I am." My voice was gentle as I looked at Simon for a long moment, before turning to look at Tori and Chloe.

"A-Alright… let's get ready."

We gathered, sitting in a circle on the floor. Chloe sat across from me, with Simon and Tori on either side.

The book had no information on _how _to do this, so we took a guess as I took a few deep breaths.

"Okay, so just breathe, and relax. And try to visualize… I don't know. Try to think trance-like thoughts…" Tori whispered, but her speaking wasn't helping.

"Shhh! It'll help if she has QUIET!" hissed Chloe, poking Tori. I sent her a relieved glance, before shutting my eyes and breathing again.

I felt Simon take my hand and stroke it lightly. I would've thought I'd have been distracted by that, but I wasn't. It felt nice.

I sat like that for a few moments before sighing, and starting to open my eyes.

"Guys, I don't think this is-" My words caught in my throat as I looked around me.

It looked like I was in fog, everything was misty. Figures walked by, barely even shadows. I knew instinctively they were ghosts.

That didn't stop me from trying to talk to them.

"Hello? W-Who are you?" I called, reaching out to them. My hands didn't go through them, but they weren't… substantial. It was like touching the coldest water.

I pulled back, shaking. I wasn't sure if I was shivering or just scared. Both, I think.

I looked around, panicking slightly. Then I saw them.

I ran towards them. It was like a veil, and I could see Chloe, Tori, Simon and… me, through it. They were still sitting in a circle, but as I watched, Tori's eyes opened and she peered at me. She said something unintelligible from this side of the veil.

Chloe and Simon both opened their eyes, looking defeated. Simon said something to me, reaching up to touch my cheek. He fell backwards, eyes wide.

He said-yelled-something, to Chloe and Tori. They all scooted over to me, peering at me. I felt uncomfortable even though I wasn't (really) there.

I sighed, looking down and then up again. Then I noticed that there were ghosts passing through the veil.

I followed them, gasping as I entered back into the world. It was strange here-I could still see a faint veil as I looked around. When my eyes landed on Chloe, I stopped.

She looked… different, as she kneeled beside my seemingly comatose form. I was breathing, but not moving.

But Chloe was _glowing_. Blue-ish. It was such a lovely color, I could see why ghosts were drawn to her. Like moths to a flame.

She reached up to tap her pendant, saying something to Tori. Tori shrugged, and Chloe reached up and removed her pendant. The second it was off, I knew that was a mistake. The blue glow grew, darkening to a purple color. It was bright. And suddenly, every ghost was around her.

She blinked a few times, obviously not seeing them yet. I rushed over, getting as close to her as I could.

"Chloe!" I yelled, waving at her. She blinked again, and then focused on me.

"D-Dora?" she said, but it was so faint I could barely hear her.

"PUT YOUR PENDANT BACK ON!" I yelled.

She looked confused, holding it up close to her neck.

"Why?" she asked, again, so faintly.

"G-" but before I could get it out, I saw her see them.

She looked from side to side, her mouth open, as they moved around her.

She screamed, and oh god, I could hear it now. It was earsplitting, and I was filled with panic.

"Chloe! Get away from her! GET AWAY!" I screeched, reaching out to swat at the ghosts. I felt a pull, and before I could do anything, I was tugged back into my body.

I jumped up, gasping. Chloe huddled in a ball on the floor, the scream still coming from her. I could see the pendant a few feet away from her.

"Dora! Thank god you're awake! So, did it work?" asked Tori, both her and Simon turning towards me and _completely_ ignoring Chloe.

"Wha-what? Why aren't you helping Chloe?" I asked, wincing at the scream still echoing through the air.

"Chloe?" Tori said, looking over her shoulder. Chloe was against the wall, now, staring. But her mouth was closed.

"D-Don't you hear that?" I asked, grabbing Tori's arm.

"Hear what? I don't hear anything."

I leapt forward, grabbing Chloe's pendant and rushing over to her. She was frozen against the wall, her face a picture of terror.

She wasn't screaming audibly, but she was screaming on the inside. I grasped her arm, and let out a strangled gasp of surprised as I felt electricity flowing through me. I looked down to see what looked like purple electricity flowing into me. I shivered as I fell backwards, but the electricity stayed in me.

I panted, the air around me crackling. I could hear Tori screaming something, and I could feel Simon's fingers wrapping around my wrist. But I also heard what sounded like a hundred people-all yelling in my ears.

"Pretty one…"

"A little too tough for my taste…"

"Aww, poor dear, she's _broken_."

"What a shame. To let such a pretty broken doll go to waste…"

"Can you hear us, poppet? Would you like to play?"

What felt like cold fingers slid down my arm.

"Stop harassing her! She's so… sweet…"

A giggle pierced the air. I looked up into Chloe's blue eyes piercing mine, terrified.

No wonder she'd been screaming…

My fingers ached, and I looked down to see I was still clutching the pendant in my hand. I tried to give it to her, but the second I touched her, more electricity ran into me.

I saw them-all of them. No longer shadows but bodies-people. Men and women, standing around, peering at me like…

Derek practically busted the door down. Okay, he _did _bust the door down. No wonder. Tori had been screaming and trying to get me to say something for almost a full minute. He knelt by Chloe, but she seemed fine.

I tried to drop the pendant into her lap, but I was too weak, so I just collapsed on the floor. Now Derek turned to me, his eyes frantic, but it was too late.

My fingers brushed Chloe's knee, and the electricity was visible. Purple. Crackling. Painful.

I don't know if I passed out, or what.

Everything went bright, and it was like I was seeing a really fast movie. People were reaching for me, even their bodies were made up of light and whiteness.

I was screaming-oh god, it hurt. The coldest cold I ever felt, and a million eyes staring at me… hands reaching for me… like my blood was replaced by icy water.

Suddenly, eyes stopped in front of me. They weren't as cold-they were almost warm.

"Don't worry. I'll make them leave…" she murmured, rubbing my arm. She turned, her light blonde hair flying.

"Leave! Now! All of you! Go prey on weaker souls elsewhere!" her voice was so familiar… I started to drift off to sleep.

The woman turned back to me and knelt down so she was eye-level with me.

"You have to remember this, little one. Tell Chloe I'm always watching her. I'm so proud of her… I'm so proud of you, too. I don't know you, but you protected her… even when you didn't know what you were protecting her from. Just, make sure she _never_ takes that pendant off again. Do you hear me, little one? Never. It opens her eyes… and she glows too brightly. You absorbed it-that's why you…" The woman glanced around, her blue eyes nervous.

"That's what happened. The souls of a thousand dead rose to meet her, and you took the burden away from her. They were drawn to you almost as much-you glowed almost blue, and red too. You're special… they added so many things to you, you could have died. But you're strong… Chloe isn't as strong-not yet."

Faint figures started entering the edges of my vision. I moaned slightly. I was getting a BAD headache, and this woman's weird words weren't helping.

"Don't worry-you're going back soon. Just remember-never let her take the pendant off. You'll still have some residual effects for a while-just ignore any strange voices or shadows you see. If they know you can hear them, they'll keep after you."

The woman leaned forward and pressed her lips against my forehead.

"I'm glad my Chloe has such a good friend…"

Then everything went black. And silent, thank god.

… for about five seconds.

"ISADORA! IF YOU DO NOT OPEN YOUR EYES AT THE COUNT OF THREE, I'LL… I DON'T KNOW!" Derek's voice roared in my ears, causing me to let out a weak cry of pain.

Ow, headache.

"I'm awake, now can you shut the hell up!" I said, but the bravado was lost as it came out in an _extremely_ weak squeak.

I slowly opened my eyes, to find that I was laid on the floor, Derek and Simon leaning over me.

"What happened? Simon said that Tori made you try some idiotic thing with-" I cut him off, holding up my hand.

"Derek? Shut up. Headache. Ow." I said, shifting on the floor. It wasn't helping that I was laying on hardwood floors.

Derek lifted me up and put me on a bed-I wasn't aware if we were in the same room as before… I couldn't even tell if we were in the same house.

I tried to remember though, and pieces came through. Pain. Bright lights. Ghosts-although I didn't know that's what they were at the time.

The woman. Her words… strange words, like the ones read out of a storybook. The way she'd looked around, so nervous.

"Never…" I murmured, my eyes fluttering shut. All I could remember was that word… Never…

The rest of it came rushing back to me, like a fast-paced montage.

"Chloe!" I yelled, sitting up in bed and nearly taking Derek's eye out.

"Dora?" Chloe moved from where she'd been standing near the head of the bed. I felt really stupid for not seeing her there.

"When I was… that woman… WHERE IS YOUR PENDANT?" I finally yelled, unable to make sense of my thoughts.

Her forehead wrinkled, but she tugged her pendant out from where it hung underneath her shirt.

I gave her a weak smile and laid back on the bed.

I laid there for who knows how long. I might have slept, or I may have just laid there. Either way, I was stirred to conciousness when someone started wiping stinging cold stuff on my hands.

I opened my eyes and instinctively jerked my hands away.

"You're awake…"

I looked down to see Chloe, biting her lip and holding a tube of something and a washcloth.

"Hey." I said tiredly, yawning.

"I'm sorry, it's just… your hands are… well they're…" she stammered, pointing to my hands.

They were crossed with red welts, back and first to where they faded into a spidery pattern on my arms.

"Yeah, what'd you do, touch a hot stove?" Tori's voice came from across the room. I looked over to see her, Derek, Simon, and Mr. Bae all sitting in a circle at the end of the room.

"No, just Chloe…" I sighed, holding my hands out to continue getting medicated.

I told them everything that I could remember, although some spots were still a little fuzzy. But we all agreed that things would be better if we _didn't _try anything like that again. And Derek practically tried to sew the pendant onto Chloe's shirt.

The day or so I just laid in bed, and tried to recover. After I felt strong enough to train, I asked Derek to start training me.

The next few weeks were some of the best of my life. My days fell into a fairly regular pattern. I woke up around five, ate breakfast with everyone, then trained until noon with Derek. Then we all ate lunch, I spent some time talking with Chloe about ghosts-trying to figure out if the figures I kept seeing at the edges of my vision were ghosts, or what. Then I trained with Tori on aggressive strategies. Then we ate dinner, and read books from the library.

I went through three more partial changes, each time more terrified than the last. Simon came with me, as did Derek. Chloe wanted to come, but then Tori said she wanted to come, so I said just Simon and Derek.

Eventually Derek would just walk to the clearing with us, and then Change himself (he was getting a _lot_ better at doing it on command) and run a perimeter.

Those private moments with Simon were the sweetest. He would just hold me, even when I was convulsing. The last time I got so close to Changing. I shoved him away and curled my claws into the dirt.

But even then, he came back, rubbing my back. And afterwards, when I couldn't move, couldn't even move my face out from the dirt…

He rolled me over, put a blanket over me, and held me. He whispered to me then, telling me stories about him and Derek growing up. Telling me stories about him going to school, about how he was SO popular.

He never told me he loved me… but I was okay with that. I knew that he loved me, as much as I knew I loved him. I could feel it, throbbing between us like a cord. If he told me it… that would be messy, complicated. And right now, I was all for uncomplicated.

Then Mr. Bae told us they'd gotten word of The Edison Group starting to cleanse their old projects. In other words… they were cleaning house.

Killing people.

And we were going to stop them.

**Alright. So I'm planning on doing a Chloe chapter next, just her reflections on the events with the ghosts, and the weeks to follow. It will end a little after this one ends, and then we'll get into serious STUFF!**

**I CANNOT wait to finish this and start the sequel. It will be my first ever finished fic on here! :D yayyy**

**Review please 3**


	20. Chapter 20: Sooner than Anticipated

**Okay, so I don't really like this, but I'm having a realllly bad day and could use cheering up with reviews.**

**My mom's surgery was yesterday, it went well. She's on a **_**lottt **_**of pain meds, so she's a little out of it, but that's fine. **

**Added to that, though, I have so much stuff to do. I asked my teacher for an extension on doing my math test, because from 8AM-10PM I was at the hospital. I said maybe I could finish it by the end of the week. Nope. She says she wants it by tonight. Plus I can't scan it in because my computer is SO STUPID that the scanner doesn't show up on it. I usually use my moms computer, but guess where that is… hospital!**

**I'm seriously considering just saying f it , and just not doing it, but I only have an 88% in that class, so it's worrisome**

**Okay, thanks to all my reviewers, you guys keep me sane! :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I REALLY wish I owned DP. That way, I wouldn't have to take Geometry, or at least I'd have Derek to come and help me **

**CPOV**

I waited until I was in my room to break down.

I knew that what Dora had gone through had been horrible… and I felt horrible about it. I'd unconsciously given her some of my powers?

The feeling that I got when I took off my pendant… well, first I just saw some shadows and Dora. She'd looked so wonderful, faint but strong, her hair seemed shinier, her skin clearer, everything about her so… angelic.

But the look on her face had been one of horror, yelling at me. Then I saw why.

Shadows formed into people, and more people still. Then the yelling started. Imagine someone screaming into your ear. Now imagine a thousand ghosts screaming into your ear. But my mouth wasn't moving. _I _wasn't moving.

I tried, oh god, I tried so damn hard! I screamed with all my might, but my mouth wouldn't let it out. But somehow Dora heard it. Thank god, because I needed… something.

And how had I repaid her? By subjecting her to pain and agony. And also, apparently, burning up her hands.

After she'd fell asleep, Simon, Derek, and Tori had all refused to leave her room. I wasn't about to either. Kit stayed there just to make sure everything was okay.

And it was.

The next few weeks were strangely wonderful. It was like a weight was off our shoulders. We actually laughed a lot, and even training was fun.

Tori helped us with aggressive strategies-like battle plays. In most all of them, the layout was the same. Simon created a distraction-usually by fog or levitation. He still couldn't make things go too high, but he could levitate things around corners. No sign of any gold bubbles, so it was pretty good.

Anyway, after Simon created a distraction, Derek and Dora went on the offensive. Kit charmed branches and garden tools to move around, so they practiced fighting against that. Then Tori backed them up with spells, and then I was there to summon any dead things I could.

So, basically, a lot of birds. Dora suggested that before we attack, I have a small army of dead things to protect me. I was a little (alright, a LOT) resistant, but everyone else seemed to think it was a good idea. So I started seeing how many dead things I could control at a time. Right now it was at five.

Dora changed three more times, but she didn't want me to come along. I tried not to be hurt, but I was. I finally understood why we weren't friends one Sunday night. Since she was part of Derek's pact-his 'beta' in fact-she had to protect me. She must've hated having to constantly protect me. Especially since I was always falling. And she was always running to help me. No wonder she liked Tori-Derek didn't care about Tori.

Kit hated cooking, as did everyone else… except for Dora. She loved it, and (surprisingly) she was pretty good at it. As long as someone was in there to keep her from putting silverware in the microwave, or from putting things together to 'find out how they taste'. Most nights she cooked, and Sunday's she always made a big dinner. Pot roast or meatloaf or something. I'd never been a big 'home-cooked meal' eater, but… well, you try training with two werewolves and a fitness-crazed witch. You'd be eating a lot too.

Simon still looked at Dora like she was the sun, and when he looked away, she looked at him like he was the moon. It would have been weird, but I'd seen Derek look at me that way too.

_Speaking _of Derek… he'd been a lot… easier. He spent almost all of his time with me-even if we were just reading together. Things were… uncomplicated.

At least, they _were_…

According to Kit, the resistance group had a mole on the inside of the Edison Group. She was apparently _very _reliable, because, like him, she had a child in the Genesis Experiment. She said that the Edison Group wasn't satisfied 'rehabilitating' subjects. If the subjects weren't able to be rehabilitated in two months, they were to be 'disposed of'.

In other words, they were going to start killing people.

And we were going to stop them.

**TPOV**

Well this certainly sucked.

We had actually been working together-a cohesive, reasonably happy, team.

And I had been _awesome_. Coming up with all those attack plans? Genius. Plus, if you saw how well we flowed… it was awesome. Dora and Derek were super-stealth. She covered him _while _covering pretty much everyone else.

Although I still had a bruise from where I'd been whacked by a renegade rake.

I'd burnt it to a crisp. Zap!

But we weren't… ready. I mean, we could keep ourselves from failing miserably. But there was no guarantee of anything. Not even of survival.

If I had to save one person from death? As odd as it sounds, I wouldn't be able to choose. I mean, even wolf-boy means something to me. I care about all of them. I mean, Derek and Simon are like brothers, and Chloe and Dora are like sisters.

But I didn't have time to sit around and stew in my thoughts. We had to _work_.

I'd been reading about offensive/defensive spells. They were complicated, but I was able to perform a few. So I called everyone out in the yard to work on a few drills.

Drill #1:

Derek and Dora at either side, slightly behind and at the left and right of me and Simon, standing in the middle (with Chloe bringing up the rear with Kit).

Simon murmured something, and, with my boost, fog rose up to envelope us. Slowly, the 'Edison Group', AKA random garden tools and a few branches, crept in.

Then, they attacked. Derek and Dora leapt into action, each taking down three on their first swipe. I aimed two blue energy balls at some rakes, while Chloe's army of birds and a few deer (yay, zombies…) attacked most of the branches.

Simon stood there looking depressed, so I _accidentally_ shoved him in the path of rogue gardening shears. Dangerous, yes, but needed? Maybe.

Sure enough, Dora swerved around and tackled Simon, before leaping to her feet, grabbing the shears, and twisting them into a mess. Then she pulled him up and roundhouse kicked a shovel.

"You're awesome." He whispered to her. She turned around to look at him, and even _I_ could see the gleam in her eyes as she grinned at him. Love.

Well, I knew I'd have to deal with wolf-boy and ghost-girl making goo-goo eyes at each other during the fight, but seriously? Simon and Dora too?

They were just standing there, smiling, so I once again _accidentally _hurled an energy ball at them. That woke them up!

At last, we'd defeated all of the dangerous gardening tools.

"Alright. That was… okay. We need to tighten up though. When we're _actually_ fighting the Edison Group, we're going to have to deal with spells and guns. NOT just rogue rakes." I sighed, running a hand through my short curls. This was going to be more complicated then I thought.

"Maybe dad can…" Simon trailed off as Kit shook his head. Crap.

"Well, we can always-" I started, but I was cut off by a very wolf-y growl from Derek.

"People." He growled, causing me to roll my eyes.

"No shit, Sherlock. There's _tons_ of people around here. Can you be a _little_ more specific?" I said, rolling my eyes. Truthfully? I was a little scared. Derek didn't usually… he was always TOO specific.

"I don't know… they smell like Edison Group, but there's only one-" he leaped through the air as a bush started rustling. A woman with reddish hair stepped out of it, only to be confronted by a growling Derek and Dora.

"P-Please! I just need to see Kit Bae!" she cried, looking scared.

"Madison?" cried Kit, rushing towards to hug the woman.

We waited in semi-uncomfortable silence as they greeted each other, before Kit turned to introduce her to us.

"Everyone, this is Madison Alistair. She's our mole inside the Edison Group. Is everything okay, Madison?" he asked, turning back to her.

"Somewhat okay. They haven't found out I'm a mole, or anything. But they're starting the cleansing-that's what their calling the murders-on Friday. Here, I had to steal this list." She handed Kit a blue page.

We all crowded around to read the list:

_Alyson Fairchild_

_Michael Rogers_

_Ryan Andrews_

_Sarah Snow_

_Matthew Star_

_Lindsay Alistair_

_Lucas Alistair_

_Nicholas Jameson_

_Rachelle Rogers_

_Hannah George_

We all stood stock-still as we read the names.

Rae was scheduled to be… executed.

"Madison. Today is Tuesday. Do you really mean that we only have two days to prepare?" Kit said, his voice thick.

"One day. You should leave Thursday morning to attack around nine-that's when they change shifts. Please, Kit… my kids are on there. I can't let them hurt Lindsay and Lucas. Even though they don't know…"

**CPOV**

Madison Alistair explained to us that her children never knew her. She'd been artificially inseminated, and after she'd given birth to twins, they'd taken them away from her. She'd secretly watched them grow up, and she told us she loved Lindsay and Lucas.

But they didn't know her.

The twins had never known their mom, although they knew each other. They were half-demons, and Lindsay had the power of foresight-she could see the future, although it changed frequently, and was often confusing. Lucas had the power of teleportation, although he could only go a few inches. According to Madison, the most he'd ever gone is a foot.

She'd watched them over security cameras-because that's who she was, a guard. I recognized her vaguely, as a face in the halls when they'd had me, Tori and Rae. She'd stolen the page of names, copied it, and brought it to us.

"It's settled then. We leave in two days time. We should rest until then. Madison, would you like to stay with us? We have an extra room." Kit spoke with a resigned tone, as if he knew they weren't ready.

"Perhaps I will stay here for an hour or two, but not longer. I have to get back before tomorrow." Madison too spoke resignedly, looking at the ground and twisting her hands together.

We tromped inside, Tori running upstairs muttering something about reading, Dora dashing off towards the library, and Derek gave me a quick, sweet kiss, before following Dora. Kit pulled Madison into the kitchen, and I was left standing (awkwardly) with Simon.

"So… do you think we're ready?" I asked him. _Not_ what I was planning on asking, but I was desperate.

"I… I don't know. I'm worried about Dora. She's so strong, and so smart. But she's… innocent, still. I'm afraid what it'll do to her, being back in that awful place." He said, sounding scared.

I didn't think as I hugged him, I just reacted to his little-boy scared face.

I pulled back fairly quickly, but he just gave me a shaky smile.

"I know it seems odd, because I just met her a few weeks ago… but I can't imagine my life without Dora."

We stood there in comfortable silence for a few minutes. I was just about to suggest he check on Tori while I check on Derek and Dora, when Kit burst out of the kitchen, yelling for Derek and Dora.

Madison followed after him, looking queasy.

For the first time, I got a second to look at her. She was pretty tall, and nice-looking, with reddish-brown hair, icy blue eyes and alabaster skin. But how could she abandon her kids? I mean, I know that she's watching over them, but… how could someone let their own children be used that way?

Derek and Dora came out of the library, Dora looking more than a little annoyed, and Tori ran down the stairs too.

"They didn't call _you_." Simon said snarkily.

"Shut up. I figured if it's _that_ important, I wanted to be here too!" she said, scowling at him.

"Okay, okay. Madison, tell them what you told me." Kit said anxiously.

"One of the projects they had was…" Madison sighed, reaching up and tugging absentmindedly at her hair, "One of the names on the list. Nicholas Jameson, he-he's a werewolf."

The silence that filled the room was deafening, pierced only by two simultaneous growls.

**DPOV (Derek's)**

I kissed Chloe, committing her taste to memory, before following Dora into the library. When I entered, Dora's head rose, and when she saw it was me, she grinned at me, before waving me over.

"This is a book on werewolf packs hunting together. I know this isn't a hunting expedition, but it talks about how they would tune into each other, and work like one cohesive unit. I thought that it might help us." She eagerly flipped through the pages. I chuckled slightly at her enthusiasm, and she looked up to make a face at me.

"Here." She shoved a leather-bound book at me, "This one is about the fighting styles of werewolves."

We settled down beside each other to read. I'd only read the first few words when she jumped in her seat.

"What is it?" I asked looking over at her (still bouncing slightly in her seat).

"LOOK! This book says that there was an ancient legend about super-tight packs that could, like, LITERALLY tune into each others minds!" she shrieked, her bouncing slowly receding.

"An ancient legend?" I said skeptically.

"What? Come on, Derek. Like 99% of us is legend. Can't we even just _try_?" Dora pouted, her lower lip edging out until I sighed and nodded.

"Chloe taught you how to pout, didn't she?" I said, setting the books aside.

"YES! I knew it would come in handy!" she said, sitting on the ground across from me.

We sat there for a while, trying to communicate.

We tried.

And tried.

"This is a waste of freaking time." She sighed, puffing air out, "I might as well be trying this with Tori."

"Hey!" I said, opening my eyes to glare at her, "do NOT compare me with Tori!"

She stared at me for a long moment.

"I didn't say _anything_ about Tori, Derek. I _thought_ something about Tori."

We prepared to try again, but dad yelled for us, so we ran downstairs.

Tori came down too, and her and Simon exchanged annoyed words, but dad quieted them.

"Okay, okay. Madison, tell them what you told me."

I barely paid attention as the woman spoke, choosing to instead focus on how close Chloe was standing to Simon. How she leaned ever so slightly into him.

"…Nicholas Jameson, he-he's a werewolf"

I growled instinctively. Another _male_ werewolf? Trouble. To my somewhat surprise, Dora growled too, not as deep as me, but just as angrily.

I glanced over at her. Her green eyes were wide and mad, and she was breathing heavily.

"Will that be a problem, Derek?" asked dad, turning to me. But Dora spoke before I could.

"Hell yes! Another teen werewolf? There's enough testosterone here already, thank you very much. The _last_ thing we need is another bristling hormonal idiot. If Derek didn't kill him, god knows I would." Dora growled, obviously trying (and failing) to calm down.

I reached over to steady her, but she snapped at me. Actually snapped her jaws at me. I took a step back, as did she. The difference was that _she_ looked like she was going to burst into tears.

Simon rushed over to her, and somehow I couldn't stop him. He just reached over and tapped her arm, and she relaxed. When he hugged her, the anger in her face dissipated.

"I'm sorry. I just went all… super-protective. Sorry I snapped at you, Derek." She said, pulling away from Simon. But not completely, I noticed. He kept his arm around her, and she kept _her_ arm around him.

But I would ignore that.

Because now, not only were we dealing with a short amount of time to get ready to rescue a lot of potentially dangerous supernaturals… we were dealing with all that plus a new werewolf, and an extremely overprotective werewolf.

Crap.

**3 next chapter will be preparing, then we'll get into the fighting. I don't know how many more chapters, but the total will probably be 23-25 chapters.**

**0:) angel**

**Review pleaseeeeee! :D**


	21. Chapter 21: Desperately

**:D here it is! I'm not entirely sure about this. It's kind of filler, but I wanted to show how the relationships have progressed over the weeks I skipped. Basically, Derek and Dora are a lot closer, he's starting to see her as more of an equal (like an actual alpha-beta relationship) and less of a nuisance. Simon and Dora are both basically waiting. They love each other, but Dora's still avoiding any real relationship type-thing. Chloe and Dora are closer, as are Chloe and Tori, and Dora and Tori.**

**UMMMM okay, so I woke up, like, the day after I posted this and I had 8 reviews! XD I was seriously so psyched!**

**Alright so, here's the dealio (can't believe I just said/typed that): My mom's surgery went fine, she should be coming home tomorrow. I have tomorrow off, but then I have four days of pure h-e-l-l coming up. The last four days of school, AKA Time-To-Give-All-Finals-In-One-Day. Not really, but I'm freaking out because I have an 89.86% in math, and I want to get a good post-test grade so I can FINALLY GET AN A IN MATH! If I do, It'll be the first time since 5****th**** grade. Yeah. I suck at math.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own many things: two turtles, 250 books, a purple folder with a chocolate brown pug dog on it. I **_**don't **_**own DP, though… unfortunately.**

**SPOV**

That night was strained, to say the least. Derek holed up in the library, refusing to talk to anyone but Chloe. Dora nearly ripped his head off.

Everyone was tense, even Chloe. She threw a book at Tori when she called Derek 'wolf-boy'. Then Dora tried to come to Tori's defense, and it basically descended into an all-out screaming fight.

Finally Derek literally picked Chloe up and took her into the other room. Dora and Tori were still arguing though, so I tugged Dora out of the room.

I led her to her room, and she sat on the bed, letting out an angry sigh.

"I guess we're all on edge now, huh?" she said, turning from me. I tried not to let my hurt show.

"Yeah" I said, echoing her tone of disinterest.

When she Changed, she let me in, she clung to me, and I to her. She was _mine._ In that moment, at least. But otherwise, she pretty much ignored me. Not in a mean, spiteful way… not in a way that was outright.

But it was obvious that she didn't want to be around me. I was trying to be understanding, but all I wanted to do (especially now) was pull her into my arms and kiss her.

_I _was terrified. _I _was angry. _I_ was… sad.

I sat next to her on the bed, and she instinctively moved so she was leaning on me. I grinned, looking down at her near-sleeping form.

She let out a little snore after a few minutes, so I laid beside her, pulling her into my arms. Her hair tickled my nose, but I didn't mind. Just this, these few stolen moments… they made me believe that maybe, somehow she'd love me someday.

I laid there for a while, until she started to move, then I carefully slipped off the bed and into the hall.

For now, creepily watching her as she slept would have to do.

Was I a stalker?

**DPOV (Dora's)**

Simon left much too soon, as a result of my movement. Well, I'm sorry, I had to change position.

I knew he thought I was sleeping, and I wanted him to think that. It was easier for both of us if I denied having any feelings for him.

What really got me was how easily he _believed _me. Couldn't he see how I noticed everything I did, how I watched his every move?

How when he looked up at me, I would immediately look away, too afraid to have him see the depth of my devotion to him.

I rolled over on the bed, sprawling over it. In the past few weeks, I had really come to appreciate this. This, unnamed thing… comfort? Not quite. This was home, now. And Derek was my brother, and Chloe and Tori were like sisters. Even if I had screamed at them…

I decided to go and apologize, and was stunned when I saw that it was dark outside. How long had I lay here? A quick look at the clock answered that question. It was midnight, and the very thought of that made me shiver.

I was debating whether to go to sleep when my stomach gurgled and growled, making my decision for me.

I pulled on a sweatshirt and left my room. I went down the stairs, smiling blandly at the lack of sound. Derek had taught me well. My senses were nearly as good as his.

Which is how I knew, as I walked up to the kitchen, that there was macaroni and cheese, pot roast, and meatloaf in the fridge. The meatloaf was a little past it's prime, so I tossed it into the trash, wincing as it made a (in my ears) deafening plop.

I had just put a plate in the microwave, when the slightest squeaking of a floorboard outside of the kitchen made me freeze.

I did what Derek had taught me to do-carefully reach out with my senses. I lifted my head infinitesimally and sniffed the air. It was Derek. Thank goodness I knew where he was-my tracking skills were still woefully inadequate-especially when I compared them to Derek's.

"Hello, Derek." I said, reaching up and pulling down another plate.

"What are you doing up?" he rumbled, walking up to stand beside me.

"Couldn't sleep. Why are _you_ up?" I asked, making another plate as the one in the microwave dinged.

"Same. You really should get your sleep, tomorrow's going to be busy." He said as I handed him the plate from the microwave and put the other one in.

"Be quiet and eat your pot roast." I grumbled, pulling out glasses too.

He sat down and ate quickly, finishing almost half of his food before I sat down with two tall glasses of milk.

"God, hungry much?" I asked, chuckling under my breath.

He finished eating before I was even a quarter way through my meal, and he stood up to get more.

"You're a good cook." He said, sitting down and ate more.

"I must be if you're eating it cold." I said, laughing louder this time.

He sent me a not-so-mad glare, and smiled, his mouth full.

We ate in relative silence, the only sound was Derek's frenzied and enthusiastic eating.

We finished at the same time now, and before I had a chance to move, he was clearing the plates. I watched him move as he squirted dish soap on them and scrubbed them. He was slow, methodical as he washed them. Not Derek-y at all.

"You're nervous aren't you?" I guessed, putting my chin in my hands.

"'Course not." He grumbled, his back to me.

"Derek…" I sighed, suddenly feeling like I was a hundred years old, "Can we please forget the pretenses?"

He turned to me, and for a moment it seemed like I was going to have to give in. But then, his careful façade seemed to crumple, and he leaned heavily on the counter.

"Of _course_ I'm worried. I wouldn't be able to stand it if anything happened to you, or Chloe, or Simon, or even… Tori." He said the last name with hesitation, but he said it.

I stood and walked to him, rubbing his back. Tense, of course.

"Come on, we've been preparing for this for weeks! We're ready." I said confidently, a lot more confident than I felt.

He turned to grin at me, although it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"And here I thought little sisters were supposed to be annoying!" he joked, trying to relieve some of the tension. His eyes were still wary and, instead of pushing it, I decided to let him off the hook.

"Well, you fit _all _of the big brother characteristics… overprotective, smarter, tough…" I drifted off as I leaned against him.

"Everything will be alright." He said lowly, squeezing my shoulder.

A sudden smell of strawberry hit my nose and I grinned up at him.

"I think I'll leave you two alone." I said, moving out of his reach.

"Who?" he said, confused. The squeaking of the stairs a fraction of a second later answered his question for him.

I grinned at the expression on his face. He _hated_ it that I could smell better than he could. Even if I was hopeless at tracking, he _still _hated it.

Me? I was just happy to _finally _ be better than him at SOMETHING.

I walked out of the kitchen, buoyed by the confidence I always felt by Derek. I passed Chloe on my way upstairs, and she mumbled something to me before continuing down the stairs. I couldn't be sure, because I was _trying _not to hear anything she didn't want me to, but it heard like 'stupid… silent… wolves… quiet". I stifled a giggle.

I turned to look at her, regarding her with the detached sense of observation I'd pushed back in these past few weeks. This was easier for me, not trying to pretend that I was always as human as the rest of them.

At first it had terrified me, that they could just relax and just… be. I was always on high alert, noticing things without any deep feelings. But now… I could be as human as the rest of them for as long as I needed, but I still was at my best when I felt things like I had at first… wolf senses only.

I still felt this strong pull to protect her, to shelter her as she tripped slightly, rubbing her eyes and yawning. I _needed_ to protect her-she was the alpha female, and it was my job to protect my pack.

But I still chuckled at her appearance. I loved Chloe like a sister, but she looked _hilarious._ Her hair was tangled around her head, and she looked half-asleep. If she'd known Derek was down there too, I knew she would've brushed her hair and straightened her clothes.

I felt a strange emotion, this yearning to be… _her_. Even now, half-asleep, rumpled, I could see so easily why Derek loved her as strongly as he did. Because, while I couldn't exactly read his mind, I could _feel_ the love radiating off of him.

She was tiny, pretty, and breakable. He-and therefore I-had the unmistakable urge to protect her. Not like Tori, who could fry anyone who got within a hundred feet of her. Simon… well I felt the need to protect him, but Derek didn't as much as Chloe.

Chloe was so… delicate, although she'd smack me if I ever told her that.

I heard her gasp Derek's name as she entered the kitchen, and I smiled briefly and ran up the stairs.

Yes, I was jealous of Chloe. Horribly jealous, although I wasn't sure of that emotion. I wanted to be her, I wanted to be as absolute as she was. I doubted _she'd_ ever been afraid that she would hurt Derek. But me? I was beyond careful around Simon. One wrong move and… I was too strong for my own good.

I paused outside my door, taking a deep breath. The smells no longer assaulted me like they used to. I felt each of them separately. Mr. Bae, Tori, Derek, Chloe… Simon. I inhaled deeply, memorizing the scents. It was something I'd done many times, memorizing their scents.

But now I felt a hint of urgency in it. We were going to _fight_. What if something happened to someone…

The thought of it pierced me, and I was bending over, breathing heavily and panicked. Thoughts flitted through my head, pictures of Tori, Chloe, Derek and Simon, all of them… cold. Dead.

I struggled to stand, suddenly desperate. As silently as I could, I crossed the hall and opened the door to Simon's room. I slipped in, barely breathing. He laid there, deep asleep.

I watched him for a while, the panicked feeling slowly receding. I knelt beside him, my eyes wide as I watched him.

Yep, this was definitely creepy and stalker-ish. But I _needed_ this.

I don't know how long I knelt there until sleep overcame me, my head dropping to lay beside him, slumped against his bed.

**CPOV (Chloe's)**

I awoke suddenly-not from a nightmare, but as a reaction to… nervousness? Was it even possible to wake up from nervousness?

I tried to calm down by thinking of things in a more… recognizable perspective. If this were a movie, I'd have the lead character have some sort of precognitive nightmare of the battle. I'd remove the day in between now and the fight. I would up the odds-a late night kidnapping? A betrayal?

But this _wasn't_ a movie, I reminded myself. There wasn't going to be a kidnapping, no betrayal. Everything was going to be straightforward.

I stretched and yawned. I needed a distraction, though, from my thoughts. If I stayed here, stewing in my thoughts, I was sure to overthink it.

So I stood and ran my hands through my hair, stumbling out of my room. I was still in that delicious post-sleep haze, where everything seems so nice. I paused at the top of the stairs, straining to hear if anyone was up.

I didn't hear anyone, so I shuffled down the stairs. I met Dora on the way up. I would say I was surprised, but I should've taken her and Derek's… natural quiet… into account.

"Stupid… these silent wolves are going to give me a complex about being so loud when they're so quiet." I mumbled, still half-asleep.

I got down the rest of the stairs, and rubbed my eyes as I stifled a yawn. Of course, I tripped over my own foot, but I recovered without falling, and continued to the kitchen.

I nearly had a heart attack when I saw Derek in the kitchen.

"Derek!" I gasped, falling back a few steps.

He turned around and gave me a distracted smile, before turning away again, his back to me.

"Are you hungry? I can fix you a plate." He said, his voice tense.

I frowned at the sound of his voice.

"What's wrong?" I asked, while self-consciously trying to untangle my hair and smooth out my clothes. Although it was silly, I found myself thinking anxiously of the nightclothes Aunt Lauren had bought me a few years ago.

She'd gone to Victoria's Secret, and while she didn't get me lingerie, she had gotten me a tank-top and shorts combo in sea-foam green. There really wasn't any lace, but it would've been better than what I was wearing-sweatpants and an old cotton t-shirt.

"Nothing." He said, but his voice didn't loosen.

"Derek, I'm not an idiot." I tried hard to keep my voice tough, but a little weakness slipped in.

He turned to me, and I had to struggle not to smile. He had that same exhasperated look on his face that he used to always have. Like he wished I was as blind as the rest of them, so easy to fool.

"I… I know you aren't Chloe. I… I… I just wish that I could… that you… that…" he stumbled through the words, squeezing his eyes shut.

I waited patiently, leaning on the kitchen island across from him.

"I wish that you didn't have to be there. I wish that I could build you a tower and lock you in it so I'd _know _that you would be safe." He said, sounding pained.

"Derek…" I sighed, trying to think of a way to relieve his worrying, "Everything will be fine. Now, will you _please_ relax?"

He sat down, obviously trying to seem calm. It wasn't working.

I slid off my seat, and walked over to him. He seemed confused, and opened his mouth to ask me exactly _what_ I was doing, but my lips were already sliding over his.

He pulled me into his lap, kissing me intensely.

It scared me, the eagerness he kissed me with.

Our lips molded to each other, warm and soft. I opened my mouth underneath his, and I was shocked by how desperate he seemed as he pulled himself to me, kissing me harder than I ever could've imagined.

One hand tangled in my hair, pulling me closer to him still, while the other ran up and down my body, igniting shivers and goose bumps.

I couldn't help but be a little afraid. Derek was always the strong one… but he was kissing me like he wasn't sure how much longer we had together.

He was desperate, and all of his inhibitions seemed to be melting away.

"Derek!" I said between his frenzied kisses, but it cam out as more of a moan.

"Derek!" I said, struggling to sound more forceful. This got his attention, and he slowed.

"What?" he asked, kissing my neck. It was hard for me to focus, but I did, and I choked my words out.

"N-N-Not like t-this. _After_. Not r-right now!" It was a struggle for me to do anything other than pull him back to me.

He pulled back, looking at me curiously. He nodded slowly, lifting me in his arms.

"D-D-Derek!" I stuttered, struggling in his arms.

"Don't worry. I'm just taking you to your room." He said, not looking down at me.

I reached up and tilted his head down so I could look at him.

"I didn't say not ever. Just… I want it to be for the right reason. I _don't_ what it to be desperate." I ran my fingers across his jaw.

He gave me a little smile, and set me down on my bed. I was surprised, not expecting to be here already.

He turned to leave, but I leaned forward and grabbed his hand, tugging him backwards.

"Please stay?" I asked. I felt guilty for stopping him earlier, and plus… I was still nervous.

I felt on edge. Every inch of my body was tense, every hair ready for terror. I was scared, nervous, anxious, desperate…

He slid in beside me, and pulled me to him.

Maybe we'd survive. Maybe we wouldn't. But in this moment…

I was content.

**:D yayyy!**

**Okay, so I have a recommendation for anyone who's looking for a good story: oxDiabolicalxDarlingxo HAHA I RECCOMENDED SOMEONE! XD I love doing that!**

**To kenhat: hahah, oops. Sorry I didn't answer your question, I lost the post it note I wrote your question on. Hopefully you're reading this. She got **_**Necromancia Reparia**_** as a result of the injections. The problem with trying to like, breed it in, was that Necromancer genes were very strong. But they **_**injected**_** her with Necromancer genes, so they weren't bred into her. I **_**hope **_**that explained it.**

**Music that I am recommending/Music that helped me with this chapter: **

**Stay-Lisa Loeb (people ALWAYS say I look like her with longer, curlier hair and no glasses.**

**Ironic-Alanis Morissette (alright, fine, nothing in her song is really ironic, but it's still a good song, and I love that video)**

**Crazy-Alanis Morissette (this is a song I'm going to listen to when I write the final chapters. loveLOVElove this song)**

**UM that's all I can think of!**

**I 3 reviews! So review PLEASE :D**


	22. Chapter 22: New Allies & Old Fights

**Sorry I haven't updated in a long, long time. Things got in the way, and I've been lazy. :P**

**So after this there's probably only two more chapters **** but then a sequel! Yayyy!**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own it. :'(**

**DPOV (Dora's)**

The next morning was somber.

We ate in silence, and then we piled into Mr. Bae's car. The ride itself was silent too, punctuated only by Mr. Bae's awkward attempts at conversation.

We had a plan in mind, a plan which basically involved Simon on cloaking (fog, etc.), Chloe guarded by Tori, Mr. Bae leading, and Derek and I on offensive.

Derek was so freaking great at everything that he was planning on Changing-on command. I was jealous, but I shoved that back. That emotion, like the many others I was feeling, would have to wait a little while.

Around 8:30 we pulled up to the edge of the forest surrounding the Edison Group compound. We made our way through the forest until we could start to see the fence surrounding it.

"We'll wait here until five minutes after 9. Then we'll precede with the… plan." Mr. Bae's voice was a low monotone.

Derek pulled Chloe off to the side, Tori pulled Mr. Bae over to talk, conveniently leaving me and Simon alone.

Simon walked over to me, behind me. I could _feel_ him-each inch of my being throbbed with intensity. Was I already that attuned with him? That I could sense everything-that his hand lingered near my elbow, nearly touching me… that in a second his lips could be touching me…

"Dora…" his voice was as soft as velvet, and his lips gently caressed the back of my neck.

I turned around, barely able to meet his eyes.

"I love you. I know you don't like hearing it, I don't like… I have to tell you. I love you, I love you more than anything. I had to tell you, because if anything happens-"

"_Nothing_ will happen!" I said, maybe a bit too forcefully.

"But if anything does… I want you to know that I love you."

He took my hands, and we stood there in silence.

All I could think about were my feelings for him. I was having the same dilemma as him, but… reversed. If anything happened to me, I didn't want him to be lost, thinking of how much I loved him. I wanted-I _needed_-him to be as happy as humanly possible. I loved him enough to not care what happened to him.

At last, Mr. Bae looked at his watch.

"It's time."

**CPOV**

Derek pulled me to the side, and I let my eyes linger on Dora and Tori and Simon. My friends. Tori and Dora were like sisters to me… how would I deal with it if anyone died.

I wouldn't deal well.

"Chloe… I'm sorry about last night. But, just thinking of what could happen… I can't stand not being in control. And I meant what I said last night-It's taking all of my self control not to start ripping up trees and building a tower around you."

"Derek…" I said, and the next thing I knew I was in his arms. This kiss was like the one last night, intensified. It was burning, scorching me with it's passion. It was a kiss of desperation, of terror.

But this time, neither one of us was in a rush to do anything else. We were simply existing-two parts in harmony. Not even two parts-we were one.

At last we broke apart, gasping for air. I was in his arms, feet not anywhere near touching the ground. His eyes burnt into mine, two pieces of green fire. I wasn't sure what mine looked like, but I doubted that they could ever reach the intensity of his eyes.

"I love you." I said, staring still into his eyes.

"Not nearly as much as I love you." He said, and kissed me before I could respond. This kiss was slower, more loving than desperate. But I'm afraid that my end of the kiss was more desperate than it should have been. I _was_ desperate. I had just gotten this, this new family. I couldn't imagine losing anyone.

We broke apart when Mr. Bae spoke.

"It's time."

**DPOV (Dora's)**

We slipped through a torn part of the gate. We all wore some variation of the theme of black-black pants, black shirt. Chloe had her hair pulled back under a black cap, as did Simon.

"Alright, let's get in… formation." Derek whispered, silently taking over the role of leader from Mr. Bae.

We reached the next gate (yes, they have two), which was electrified. Mr. Bae quickly disabled it, though, and we were on the move again.

Derek and I both scrambled quickly over the fence, but the others didn't have it so easy. Chloe, for one, was still trying to climb up one side. Derek reached down and pulled her over. I did the same for Simon-maybe he didn't need it nearly as badly as Chloe, but… I liked being able to do something for him.

After we were all over the fence, we reformed. Simon waved his hands, muttering some incantation. Fog rose up all around us, bolstered slightly by Mr. Bae.

We stalked up to the side door, thankfully still unseen. One quick ball of electricity from Tori, and we were in.

"Alright, now we're on the floor _below_ the floor where they're keeping the children. We just need to get up there as soon as possible, get them, and get out of here, ALL within the next half hour. Okay?"

We all nodded, and started running. We rounded the hallway, and saw stairs at the other end. But when we started running towards them, a door opened and someone in a white coat stepped out.

The coat turned around, revealing a hard-looking nurse, one I recognized. She had been one of those who...

"Hello pet! Got some new friends?" she chuckled, pulling out a dart gun from her back pocket, "Come on now, if you come back, we'll give you _candy_."

The nurse laughed maniacally, and I prepared to pounce, but Derek was already halfway there. He hit the nurse, and slammed her against the wall. When he had ascertained that she was, in fact, unconscious, he shoved her into a broom closet.

I gave him a look of what I hope was gratitude, and he gave me a strained smile.

We ran up the stairs, and rounded the corner on a hall of rooms.

"Come on-" Derek started, but Simon interjected.

"Should we split up?"

Derek gave him one of those 'You-are-such-an-idiot-right-now' looks, "No."

I kicked down the first door, which lead to an observation room, looking through one of those one-way window things, into a room where a young girl was struggling in a chair. There were people in lab coats around her, and I watched as they held her down and held up a syringe filled with liquid.

Derek slammed into the door connecting the two rooms, which dented but didn't break. Another flying leap broke it down, though.

I watched as the doctors looked around in surprise at the (so far) three of us through the door. I took a deep breath, ready to kick some butt, and I smelled it.

Sweet. Sour. Acidic. Fake.

Poison.

The doctor smiled at me, a slow, horrible smile. And then he slammed his hand down, roughly injecting the girl with the poison.

"One down." He said smoothly, stepping to the side and pressing the SECURITY button.

Derek growled at slammed two or three of the nurses into the wall. Tori knocked back a few more, and I pounced on the doctor. My mouth hovered above his neck, but… I couldn't kill him. Not like this. Then I looked up and saw another syringe.

I slammed his head into the floor, injected him, and tied him up. It wasn't poison in that syringe, but it was going to mess him up.

I turned around, and saw Chloe hovering over the girl, her hands at her wrist.

She looked up, her eyes wet with tears.

"H-Her name was Hannah George." She said, her voice cracking. I hugged her, but I didn't feel it. All I could think of was the look on that doctors face. That look of… calm. Like he had resigned himself to die, and he would take as many as he could with him.

"Come on, he called security! We have to GO!" Derek said, pulling us roughly out of the room.

BANG! Tori blew back the next door, and ran in. There were brief sounds of metal being manipulated, and then she ran out, dragging with her a foggy-looking boy.

"Hey… sup?" he asked, yawning.

"Who are you?" Derek asked, but it came out as more of a growl.

He guy held up his hands as he answered, "Michael. Michael Rogers. What are you guys doing he-"

I cut him off, "We're breaking you out before anyone decides to kill you."

He looked surprised, but went along when Tori shoved him towards the next door.

Suddenly there was sounds of footsteps from the staircase, and we all turned as six guards, guns at the ready, charged up the stairs. They paused for perhaps a millisecond, before one shot.

Michael stepped in front of us, holding up his hands. As the bullets reached us, they exploded about six inches in front of him.

"Ha-ha!" laughed Tori, slamming them with a knock-back spell. I rolled my eyes at her, but smiled.

"I'm a half-demon, with the power of air manipulation." Michael said, seeming proud.

We broke down the next door, revealing a tall girl with wild red hair. She introduced herself as Sarah Snow, and demonstrated her powers by muttering something and putting the door back on it's hinges.

More guards were pouring into the hall, so Derek and Tori took on them, while Chloe and Mr. Bae took one room. Simon and I took another.

Our room had two people in it-a girl and a boy. Both very pretty.

I tore the shackles off of the boy while Simon tended to the girl.

"Hey, I'm Lucas." Said the boy, smiling vaguely at me.

"Dora. Werewolf. Don't mess with me because I can and I will hurt you." I said, helping him to his feet. He edged away from me, seeming a little scared.

"Her bark is worse than her bite. _Trust_ me." Muttered Simon, struggling to pull off the girl's handcuffs.

"Oh shut up, Simon!" I said, freeing the girl as well.

"I'm Lindsay." Said the girl, smiling at me.

"Lindsay and Lucas… we met your mother." Simon said.

"We don't have a mother." Said Lucas, putting an arm around Lindsay. They looked just alike. They were both fair, with white-blonde hair and pale green eyes. Lindsay reminded me of Chloe-small, delicate, and oh-so innocent.

"There's no time for this, come on, we've got to go!" I said, tugging them out of the room. A guard grabbed at Simon, but I slammed him up against the wall. He hit it with a sickening 'crack' that sent shivers down my spine.

"Dora?" Chloe called, pulling someone behind her.

"Chloe!" I said, relieved. Even though I knew that Mr. Bae would protect her, I was still afraid that she'd somehow hurt herself.

She pulled the person into the forefront, but I smelled him. A low growl started in my chest, building up as I looked at the werewolf in front of me.

He smiled at me, and held his hands up in surrender.

"Back down, I'm not here to fight." He said, grinning. He was ridiculously good looking, with messy black hair and dark blue eyes.

I snarled at him, but turned when I heard a scream.

Tori was on the ground, holding her arm. Blood was soaking her shirt.

"Tori!" I yelled, shoving people aside in my haste to get to her.

"I… I'm fine. It's just… a little cut." She said, her eyelids fluttering.

"Damn it!" I cursed, looking around. There was pandemonium everywhere. Derek was just throwing people around, and Mr. Bae was casting spells faster than I'd ever seen before.

"I got her!" said a voice, lifting her up. I looked up and saw Lucas lifting her into his arms and running away.

"Dora! We gotta go!" Derek said, lifting me roughly to my feet.

"But what about the other-"

"They already killed three people. Hannah George, Ryan Andrews and Matthew Star." He said, pulling me down the hall with everyone else.

"What about-"

"We got most everyone else. Rae ran like a bat out of hell as soon as we opened her door." Derek said, letting go of me as we reached a door.

He broke it down, setting off more alarms, but it led to two hallways.

"Go!" He yelled, shoving everyone down a hallway.

We ran and ran, Derek taking the lead. Suddenly we came upon a dead end. There was a door there, though, marked LAB.

"Everyone, go back! I need to-" Derek broke off, twisting the doorknob. Everyone ran. I paused for a moment, watching his face change into one of anger, but Chloe pulled me down the hall.

We were falling behind-Chloe was _slow_-when a door slammed open and a blonde woman rushed out. She reminded me of the lady I saw when I was…

"Aunt Lauren!" Chloe shrieked, running and hugging the woman.

"Chloe! Oh, Chloe!" the woman said, crying.

I averted my eyes, trying to look away from this 'family moment'.

"Chloe-oh, Chloe, we have to leave!" said Lauren, pulling on Chloe's arm.

"I know! Come on Dora!" Chloe said, turning and beckoning to me.

"CHLOE! She-she's a… werewolf!" Lauren whispered the word, as if that would help at all.

"Yes, I am. And yes, she knows." I said, gritting my teeth. We needed to _move_!

"Aunt Lauren, Dora is my friend. She-"

The door beside Lauren snapped open, and a man leaped out, snarling and gasping. I recognized it perfectly. The werewolf from the first time. The one… lost all his humanity. A _man-eater_.

Unfortunately, he seemed to recognize me too. Or at least, he recognized Chloe.

He laughed, a high-pitched, keening sound, "Ha-ha-ha! Yum, yum! Tasty!"

I ran at him as Chloe and her aunt both screamed. I tackled him, throwing him against the wall.

We tangled again, wrestling and growling. He bit my arm, and I threw him against the wall again.

"Chloe. GO!" I said, watching as the wolf-man pulled himself off the floor.

The two blondes ran, as I launched myself at the werewolf. It was quick, and hopefully painless. My hand at his throat, twisting quickly. He went limp, and I pulled myself up. I looked quickly at my arm. Superficial damage, barely enough to worry about.

"Dora! Where's Chloe? Why are you here?" Derek yelled, running up behind me.

"Derek! Chloe's with her aunt, running like the wind! I'm here because I had to kill this homicidal man-eater werewolf." I said, annoyed.

"We've got to go! They're… there's some serious sorcerers and witches on there way downstairs-to the exit we were using. I don't know… we have to leave that way. I don't know how, but we have to get through there before they get down there."

We ran faster than ever before, Derek stopping only to Change quickly. Well, as quickly as possible. I didn't say anything, but seeing him there, like that, made me tremble slightly. I needed to Change-but not right now.

We raced down the hallway, and down the next one. Down stairs, and then into the-

We entered the room. Chloe and Tori and Simon and everyone made a small crowd close to the door, and then there was a group of strange people with glowing hands.

"More of you? Tsk, tsk, you were holding out on us! It'll be so much easier if you cooperate. Then we'll only slaughter _some_ of you!"

They were blocking the door, with no other chance of escape.

We would have to fight.

**Yep. So next chapter might be a little while coming. There's going to be more action, and some artfully inserted fluff!**

**So, sorry I didn't do a long intro to everyone. I will later on, it just didn't fit.**

**Review please!**


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